Fireworks booths are opening shop all over Hollister this week,
selling sparklers, fountains, tree spinners and more until
Independence Day.
Twelve nonprofit organizations will run the booths, and Deputy
City Clerk Geri Johnson said this is one of the biggest fundraisers
of the year for the organizations.
Fireworks booths are opening shop all over Hollister this week, selling sparklers, fountains, tree spinners and more until Independence Day.
Twelve nonprofit organizations will run the booths, and Deputy City Clerk Geri Johnson said this is one of the biggest fundraisers of the year for the organizations.
“These nonprofits make a lot of money doing this and it keeps the organizations going throughout the year,” she said.
Elaine Kovanda, organizer for the Community Pantry booth in the Kmart Parking lot, agrees. Her organization has been running a fireworks stand for 15 years. Selling fireworks packages, ranging in cost from $9.99 to $500, makes for a very profitable week for Community Pantry, Kovanda said.
“We wouldn’t be able to make it without this fundraiser,” she said.
Another nonprofit that wouldn’t be able to survive without its fireworks fund-raiser is the Baler Band Boosters. Organizer Nancy Coates said without the money raised from the booth, which helps cover the costs of instrument and uniform repairs, transportation for the band and more, the band would be struggling financially.
“Our budget would be zero and the kids would have to go back to selling candy bars,” she said.
Hollister Fire Chief Bill Garringer said he has mixed feelings about the fireworks sold by the local organizations.
“On one hand, the money goes to the nonprofits, which do good things for the community, but, on the other hand, if they’re used inappropriately and thrown on roof tops or into fields that creates a problem,” he said.
Regardless, Garringer said the good outweighs the bad, and that it’s the illegal fireworks like bottle-rockets that cause the most fires. The Hollister Fire Department responded to a number of fires last Fourth of July caused by illegal fireworks, including a roof fire on Sunset Drive and a brush fire on Union Road. Garringer also said it’s important for parents to supervise their children when lighting off fireworks.
Fireworks should be lit in the street and away from brush, and they’re also only allowed in the Hollister city limits. San Benito County has an ordinance against fireworks and anyone found using them outside the Hollister city limits will be cited, according to the San Benito County Sheriff’s Department.
Where to Buy’em
Abundant Life Foursquare Church 790 Bolsa
Apostolic Faith Church Northwest corner of San Juan Road and Filice Drive
Baler Band Boosters Orchard Center Shopping Center
Baler Football Boosters Ace Hardware Parking Lot
Community Pantry Kmart Parking Lot
Hollister Downtown Association Safeway Parking Lot
Hollister Elks Lodge #1436 North of Albertson’s
Hollister Exchange Club Near Hayward Lumber
Hollister Little League Albertson’s Parking Lot
Hollister Youth Football Rite Aid Parking Lot
New Life Fellowship Church Gold’s Gym Parking Lot
San Benito County SPCA Taco Bell Parking Lot
Fireworks Safety Tips
– Always read and follow label directions.
– Have an adult present.
– Always have water handy (a garden hose and a
bucket).
-Light only one firework at a time.
– Never re-light a “dud” firework (wait 15 to 20 minutes and then soak it in a bucket of water).
– Never give fireworks to small children.
– If necessary, store fireworks in a cool, dry place.
– Dispose of fireworks properly by soaking them in water and then disposing of them in your trash can.
– Never carry fireworks in your pocket.
Source: The National Council on Fireworks Safety
