Putting the works in ‘fireworks’
Donors, safety forces, city ensure display is spectacular
Fireworks capped the community festival weekend and were bigger and better last year thanks to more sponsors. File photo by JAIME ANTON
NORTH ROYALTON – Everybody knows there’s only one way to end home days’ weekend and that’s with an impressive fireworks display.
For the past two years, that’s a promise the city has delivered on with generosity from local sponsors. This year is no different with thousands of dollars being committed to the display, compliments of several local residents, business owners and organizations.
Fireworks haven’t always been a home days mainstay. They were tabled in 2009 due to the recession but restored to the North Royalton Community Festival lineup in 2015 by Mayor Bob Stefanik once the economy recovered.
This year there are 22 sponsors contributing to the display. The mayor is appreciative of all those who are pitching in to help cap off the festival right with a spectacular fireworks grand finale at dusk Sunday, Aug. 20.
“We appreciate the businesses that sponsor this growing annual fireworks display. We not only had many of last year’s step up to the plate again but also some new sponsors reached out to us this year,” Stefanik said. “It’s always exciting to see the crowd stick around on the City Green in anticipation of the fireworks display at dusk. It’s a great way to cap off the community festival, but unfortunately it does signal the end of summer and back to school for our younger residents.”
There are three sponsorship levels — red, white and blue — with blue being a donation of $1,500 or more; white being a donation of $1,000; and red a $500 sponsorship.
Sponsorship for this year’s fireworks display are: blue sponsors North Coast Litho Inc., DiGioia-Suburban Excavating LLC and I & MJ Gross Company; white sponsors The 3 Spot, Quality Inspection Inc. and Big Trees Inc.; and red sponsors Fifth Third Securities, Induction Tooling Inc., Legacy Financial Associates LLC, Lineweaver Financial Group, Matteo’s Casual Italian Restaurant, NOPEC, Snider Recreation, Southwest Urology, The Fedeli Group, The Jump Yard, University Hospitals, HD Supply, Surace Smith, Royal Collision, Council President Larry Antoskiewicz and Stefanik.
Of course, when it comes to fireworks, safety is of utmost importance.
Ridge Road will close to traffic between Bennett and Royalton roads shortly before the parade steps off at 3 p.m. until after the fireworks display so people can enjoy prime seating with no distractions. Residents can bring their own chairs.
The display will be handled by Zambelli Fireworks and launched from the Good Karma Broadcasting radio tower property behind The 3 Spot under the watchful eye of the North Royalton Fire Department.
Residents are not permitted to go behind the businesses in that area for a better view but are instead asked to stay along the closed street or on the City Green.
The grass at the launch site will be mowed down. Fire crews will arrive on scene early Sunday morning to inspect everything and will stay all day to make sure everything is set up properly. A firetruck will be on standby during the display in the event of an emergency. When the display is finished, crews must check the launch site, which is a very involved process and even entails another inspection the following day.
“The fire chief oversees the event and he and the assistant fire chief work with the vendor to make sure everything is set up and done in a safe manner. We utilize everyone to make sure the hot zone where the fireworks are set off is safe and that no one has wandered through. Ridge Road is shut down so people don’t have worry about traffic and can watch fireworks from there. We have auxiliary police and CERT keeping an eye on things looking for anything suspicious and keeping people away from the hot zones and perimeter. We pull all our resources together to make sure the fireworks go off without a hitch, weather permitting,” Safety Director Bruce Campbell said. “A lot goes into this to make sure residents have an enjoyable time but to also make sure it’s safe for residents and businesses.”
Campbell said it is definitely worth the effort.
“It is a nice culmination of the weekend and is really the last bash of the summer.”
For the past two years, that’s a promise the city has delivered on with generosity from local sponsors. This year is no different with thousands of dollars being committed to the display, compliments of several local residents, business owners and organizations.
Fireworks haven’t always been a home days mainstay. They were tabled in 2009 due to the recession but restored to the North Royalton Community Festival lineup in 2015 by Mayor Bob Stefanik once the economy recovered.
This year there are 22 sponsors contributing to the display. The mayor is appreciative of all those who are pitching in to help cap off the festival right with a spectacular fireworks grand finale at dusk Sunday, Aug. 20.
“We appreciate the businesses that sponsor this growing annual fireworks display. We not only had many of last year’s step up to the plate again but also some new sponsors reached out to us this year,” Stefanik said. “It’s always exciting to see the crowd stick around on the City Green in anticipation of the fireworks display at dusk. It’s a great way to cap off the community festival, but unfortunately it does signal the end of summer and back to school for our younger residents.”
There are three sponsorship levels — red, white and blue — with blue being a donation of $1,500 or more; white being a donation of $1,000; and red a $500 sponsorship.
Sponsorship for this year’s fireworks display are: blue sponsors North Coast Litho Inc., DiGioia-Suburban Excavating LLC and I & MJ Gross Company; white sponsors The 3 Spot, Quality Inspection Inc. and Big Trees Inc.; and red sponsors Fifth Third Securities, Induction Tooling Inc., Legacy Financial Associates LLC, Lineweaver Financial Group, Matteo’s Casual Italian Restaurant, NOPEC, Snider Recreation, Southwest Urology, The Fedeli Group, The Jump Yard, University Hospitals, HD Supply, Surace Smith, Royal Collision, Council President Larry Antoskiewicz and Stefanik.
Of course, when it comes to fireworks, safety is of utmost importance.
Ridge Road will close to traffic between Bennett and Royalton roads shortly before the parade steps off at 3 p.m. until after the fireworks display so people can enjoy prime seating with no distractions. Residents can bring their own chairs.
The display will be handled by Zambelli Fireworks and launched from the Good Karma Broadcasting radio tower property behind The 3 Spot under the watchful eye of the North Royalton Fire Department.
Residents are not permitted to go behind the businesses in that area for a better view but are instead asked to stay along the closed street or on the City Green.
The grass at the launch site will be mowed down. Fire crews will arrive on scene early Sunday morning to inspect everything and will stay all day to make sure everything is set up properly. A firetruck will be on standby during the display in the event of an emergency. When the display is finished, crews must check the launch site, which is a very involved process and even entails another inspection the following day.
“The fire chief oversees the event and he and the assistant fire chief work with the vendor to make sure everything is set up and done in a safe manner. We utilize everyone to make sure the hot zone where the fireworks are set off is safe and that no one has wandered through. Ridge Road is shut down so people don’t have worry about traffic and can watch fireworks from there. We have auxiliary police and CERT keeping an eye on things looking for anything suspicious and keeping people away from the hot zones and perimeter. We pull all our resources together to make sure the fireworks go off without a hitch, weather permitting,” Safety Director Bruce Campbell said. “A lot goes into this to make sure residents have an enjoyable time but to also make sure it’s safe for residents and businesses.”
Campbell said it is definitely worth the effort.
“It is a nice culmination of the weekend and is really the last bash of the summer.”