Monona firefighters seek to offset increasing cost of fireworks

MONONA — The Monona Volunteer Fire Department is seeking larger donations toward its yearly fireworks display.

In an open letter last week, the department noted that costs are increasing while donations have fallen short of meeting expenses for one of the largest fireworks shows that remains manually ignited.

The show began 58 years ago. At that time the department asked local businesses for a one-time donation to fund the show. Since then, the department has asked for donations from the crowd the night of the display and has used that money to fund the following year’s show.  In recent years, department members have also sold raffle tickets. The letter notes that the money was originally earmarked for equipment, but in recent years it, too, has been used to cover expenses involved in the show. Freedom Bank has donated $2,000 to this year’s show.

The cost of the Monona fireworks show has seen a sharp increase in recent years. In 2016, the department spent $10,380 on a 1,170-shot show. In 2017 the cost increased to $11,000 for a similar-sized show while this year’s show cost the department $12,000 for nearly 200 less shots than a year ago.

Read more in the Wednesday, July 4, 2018 edition of The Outlook.