Imagine a 4th of July without fireworks. But, but... that's crazy! That's unpatriotic! That's exactly what Seattle was facing this coming Independence Day. One Reel, the non-profit organization that produces the fireworks show, lost its sponsor for the annual event. The now non-existent Washington Mutual was the sponsor for 8 years. After JP Morgan Chase absorbed WaMu, they agreed to extend the sponsorship for one more year. But it's now 2010, the economy sucks and Seattle's July 4th celebration would amount to well... nothing. Zip. Zero. Zilch. Just another day. Ho-hum.
Yippee skippy.
Whoa! Now hold on just a cotton-pickin' minute! That is unacceptable! So said KIRO Radio's prominent morning talk show host Dave Ross and Seattle's distinguished Chef Tom Douglas yesterday. Tom issued a challenge to the businesses of Seattle to donate at least $1000 each to keep the fireworks show alive. How much did they need? $500,000.00! What was the deadline to raise that kind of greenage? Tuesday. Yikes! Could they do it? To kick it off and put their money where their mouths were, both Dave and Tom made the first donations.
KIRO Radio immediately put out announcements online and on air about the challenge:
KIRO's other popular talk show hosts, Dori Monson and the Ron & Don Nation began making public appeals. By 4:00pm, they had raised about $80,000. They were still a long way off. Then something wonderful happened. Dave & Tom showed up in the studio during Ron and Don's show and made an announcement.
Wow. Starbucks and Microsoft, two of the city's premiere employers offered to match contributions of $250,000 ($125,000 each) which would give us our $500k. We now only needed $170,000 more. Could it be done?
Or were we destined to go from a celebration like this:
and this:
to this?
Gasworks Park, the annual 4th of July celebration site
Can you picture a city as large as Seattle without fireworks on the 4th of July? I assume that people would still have their picnics, BBQ's and their neighborhood fireworks, but nothing as spectacular as the sparkling, Ooh-Ah inspiring lights displayed above Lake Union.
Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn proclaimed today to be, "The Day the People Saved the Fireworks" in the City of Seattle!
To all the Seattle businesses that donated, I say thank you! And to all the citizens in Seattle and the surrounding areas, please make sure you patronize these businesses and show them the same sense of loyal community that they showed to us.
From KIRO's website, the list of Seattle's proud business donors:
Dave Ross $1,000Taco Time $5,000
Charlie's Produce $10,000
JK Fabrication $1,000
Sharron & Gary Deibert $1,000
Jana Helmuth CPA $1,000
Beecher's Handmade Cheese $1,000
Pacific Urethane Recycling $2,000
Heston Technical Inc. $1,000
Heidi Heineman Aflac Insurance in Kent $1,000
Security Imaging Corporation $1,000
Ewing and Clark Inc. $2500
Red Mill Burgers $3000
Futurepoly $1,000
Renton Concrete Recycles $2,000
Claudia, McClain Insurance in Everett $1,000
Nursecall Northwest $1,000
John Hanson $1,000
All Systems Electric $1,000
Reconstructed Clothing Company $1,000
Seattle Bank $10,000
Max Technology $1,000
Ward's Cove $1,000
Turnure Telecom LLC $250
Seattle Ferry Service $1,000
Neighborhood Grills $2,000
Blue Moon Burgers $1,000
Rite-Line Tax Service, Inc. $1,000
Tricia Rendina $1,000
Hollywood Lights Inc $1,000
www.saspcrecycling.com $1,000
NELLA CUTLERY $1,000
Next Door Media $1,000
Brian Cartenuto $1,000
Heidi McBain $1,500
Paddy Coyne's Irish Pubs $1,000
Filco Environmental Services $2,000
Lucius Hill $1,000
Findwell Real Estate $1,000
Continental Van Lines, Inc. $1,000
Meriwether Partners $1,000
Blue Rooster, Inc. $1,000
MCW Events $250
Homestead Book Company $1,000
Anchor Bay Charters $1,000
Hy-Security Gate, Inc. $1,000
West Seattle Blog $1,000
Schumacher & Co., P.S. $1,000
The Frenchy Bee $100
BNI-Western Washington, Inc. $2,000
Catherine Budbill State Farm Insurance $1,000
Marty Rood, Mr. 99 & Associates, Inc. $1,000
Capital Management $1,000
Sweetwater Investments $1,000
Northwest Gourmet Foods $1,000
Pamela Hinckley $1,000
Phoenix Mailing LLC $1,000
Smith Brothers Farms $1,000
Nordstrom $25,000
Underdog Sports $5,000
Sprague Pest Solutions $1,000
Anita Yearley MD $1,000
FloorPlanOnline.com $100
In Play Films $500
Silver Cloud Inns and Hotels $1,000
Cascade Federal Credit Union $1,000
Lenati LLC $1,000
EmeraldSkySports.com $1,000
Legal Media Experts $1,000
Medina Hair Design $1,000
Minor & James Medical $1,000
Vulcan Inc. $50,000
Santamaria and Sons $1,000
International Parking Management Inc. $5,000
Geocaching.com $1,000
Read Products, Inc. $1,000
Dancey & Cassady, L.L.P. $100
Dearmin Fogarty PLLC $1,000
Stewart & Terry LLC (Aspira Apartments Seattle) $5,000
Brian Hartman $1,250
Gunning, Stenson & Price, P.S. $1,000
Pennys Salsa Inc. $1,000
Turner Construction $5,000
Ventana Construction $1,000
Greg Hunicutt $1,000
Fusiontek $1,000
Novastar Development $2500
Cristal Charters $2500
Cutter & Buck Inc. $1,000
Hales Ales $2,500
Northwest Administrators $5,000
Brewe Layman p.s. $1,000
QUEEN CITY PLATING, INC. $1000
Point B Inc. $2500
Key Bank $2,000
Berschauer Phillips Construction Co. $2,500
Sequoyah Electric $1,000
Northwest Yacht Brokers Association $1000
KING 5 $5,000
Merrill Gardens REMAINING BALANCE
Seattle, you make me so damn proud!
As for JP Morgan Chase? Here's a line from their website: Leadership in community partnership is part of the enduring culture of JPMorgan Chase. Sorry, Chase. You just earned a huge FAIL in community relations. Oh, and you suck.
4 comments:
Great news--our twenty-something, recent UW grad is headed back to Seattle for graduate school; one of my fondest memories is his discovery of Gasworks, July 4th and the girlfriend, summer of 2006. Couldn't believe Seattle would not have these festivities...good for y'all. I also would nominate Seattle as the summertime city in the country--it's so gorgeous it makes your eyes hurt. I will not mention the NYT op-ed of late.
Carli--you are on a blogroll--very cool--snowbilly is my early morning visit, right after Andrew Sullivan and the NYT. Kudos.
Really? That's so very cool! Thanks for letting me know. I'll have to thank Snowbilly too.
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