4/11/13 - With a long-running annual celebration hurting for funds, the Highland Township Board approved donating $9,000 to sponsor a fireworks show planned for June 29th. The Sparks in the Park event has been held each year for more than a decade and is described as a major draw for the community. The family-oriented fireworks festival is held on the last Saturday of June at Milford High School. It includes food, vendors, live bands, and activities for children before the setting off the pyrotechnics. Highland Lake Business Association Administrator Molly Pulka tells WHMI that major corporate sponsors of the event pulled out this year, and organizers have to start paying bills to get the event off the ground. About $15,000 is needed by May 1st to cover initial expenses and a final total of about $22,000 will be needed to pay for the event. Last night, with only about $3,000 raised, Pulka went to the Highland Township Board to ask for a donation from the township board. Several possible plans and dollar amounts were discussed by the board before a motion was made to donate $9,000, which would completely cover the cost of the fireworks display. The motion narrowly passed by a vote of 4-to-3. Treasurer Judy Cooper was among the dissenting trustees, and she tells WHMI that she is definitely in support of donating to the event but would have done so in a different way. She says she would have made a motion for a $5,000 donation that could be increased to $9,000 to make up for any fundraising shortfall, thereby giving the community a greater chance to contribute to the event. In addition to the $9,000 donation, the Highland Fire Department agreed to waive its fees for the event, saving an additional $1,000. Several trustees also pledged personal donations to the cause, including a $1,000 donation from Trustee Russ Tierney. Pulka says the board was much more generous than she expected, but additional sponsors will be needed to get the association to its $22,000 goal. Follow the link below to donate.(TD)
↧