Community Corner

No First Fourth Parade, Fireworks in Jeopardy

Newtown First Fourth Committee Chairman Joe Gordon said unless he can find a sponsor for the fireworks in the next week or two, there will be no celebration this year.

There will be no First Fourth parade this year and the fireworks are in jeopardy, committee chairman Joe Gordon told Patch.

According to Gordon, the sponsor for the annual Independence Day fireworks has fallen through. Unless he can come up with $3,500 from a local business, or a collaborative effort by businesses, the fireworks will not happen this year.

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The parade wasn't planned for this year due to a lack of volunteers, he said. The committee had hoped to do the fireworks. But now he's scrambling for a sponsor. 

"We need to know by next week about a sponsor. We are running close to the deadline to get the paperwork," he said. 

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First Fourth is Newtown's annual Independence Day celebration, held each year on the first Saturday in July. It typically features a parade and party with fireworks to cap off the night at Newtown Middle School.

Gordon said the parade is not gone for good; he hopes to bring it back for next year's event provided he can organize enough volunteers ahead of time. 

"Hopefully next year we can get the parade back," he said. This year "if we can get the fireworks sponsorship, maybe we could get the vendors" for the party at Newtown Middle School.

Anyone interested in sponsoring the fireworks should contact Gordon at j136gordon@gmail.com.


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