The city of Bowling Green came close to celebrating Independence Day without fireworks this year due to the economy’s effect on the city budget.

However, thanks to a grass-roots campaign, enough money was raised for a fireworks display while demonstrating the passion the community has for the holiday on a national scale. The campaign held a nationwide contest for a $10,000 grant specifically to fund Fourth of July celebrations.

Pastor Dennis Gugger of Bowling Green Alliance Church praised the spirit of the campaign, thanking the community.

“The city of Bowling Green made it become a reality,” Gugger said. “I think it speaks highly of our community and patriotic spirit.”

The campaign began in late May when Gugger was told by a member of the church about the situation, who asked if anything could be done.

Gugger proceeded to contact the city’s Chamber of Commerce, which has been primarily responsible in promoting the event and contracting with the pyrotechnicians.

Earlene Kilpatrick, Executive Director of the Chamber, sent out the press releases responsible for kicking off the community-wide effort to save the fireworks. Gugger said the city newspaper, the Sentinel-Tribune, ran three major articles detailing the effort to save the fireworks.

Kilpatrick said that First Federal Bank was the first financial institution to make a major donation. Gugger added that Charlie Bechstein of the First Federal Bank handled the financial part of the fundraising.

According to Bechstein, $16,000 had to be raised by June 15, with the first Sentinel-Tribune article detailing the campaign running on May 27.

“I was surprised we were able to raise the amount we did in such a short time period,” Bechstein said. “It really shows that this is something the community wants to have.”

Kilpatrick touched upon what makes fireworks important to the community, calling it “a fun, family-filled event” and “America at its height.”

Bechstein said that in addition to using media like the newspaper and television, campaigners used techniques like placing collection buckets outside of their businesses and asking churches to participate, and First Federal Bank issued a challenge to other town banks to match its donation.

According to Kilpatrick, generating support was “very easy,” with businesses, organizations and individual citizens making substantial donations. Donations ranged from 20 cents to above $1,000.

What Kilpatrick did not expect was to be awarded the Liberty Mutual grant that gave the town $10,000 to be used toward this year’s celebrations.

Bechstein said that Deb Bechstein of First Insurance Investments notified the Chamber about the contest, and the Chamber made it known to the community mostly through e-mail requests.

By the time the town was notified, the residents had less than 10 days to take a history quiz. Each quiz taken would award the community a point, and Bowling Green was one of 10 cities awarded the grant.

Kilpatrick said the town currently has over $16,000 in grassroots collected funds. Because the grant money is being used to finance this year’s display, the leftover money will be placed in an account at First Federal to be put toward next year’s fireworks.

Bechstein stated that the participants of the campaign are hopeful that economic conditions in the city will pick up next year.

“Hopefully things can go back to normal next year,” Bechstein said.

The campaigners have an appreciation not only for the fireworks, but also the value of the campaign effort.

“[The campaign] truly reminded all of us why we live in Bowling Green, and it’s because this community pulls together and is supportive of each other,” Kilpatrick said.

The fireworks are set to begin at 9:45 p.m. on July 4 at the Intramural Fields at Doyt Perry Stadium. The rain date is July 5.