Fourth funds fall short

Dave Brooks

Fundraising efforts for the 2005 Fourth of July will likely come up

short due to a lack of sponsorships, organizer Pat Stier said.

Although no exact revenue figures have been released, Stier

estimated the Fourth of July committee raised about $10,000 to

$15,000 less than it spent this year. Stier said the committee plans

to fill the gap with a surplus it accrued from past Fourth of July

celebrations.

“We will not use any taxpayer funds,” she said.

For most of the public, this year’s Fourth of July celebration was

a success, culminating in a spectacular fireworks show.

But to organizers of the event, the celebration was filled with

numerous headaches and funding problems. The group was not able to

find a top corporate sponsor -- usually good for about $50,000.

Unlike years past, the committee also didn’t receive any donations

from the Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa or the Hilton Waterfront Beach

Resort, both of which have views of the fireworks show. Those

partnerships are usually worth $10,000 to $20,000.

Most disconcerting, Stier said, was that the Fourth of July

committee didn’t receive any donations from downtown merchants.

“None of them gave a penny and they’re the ones who make the most

from this,” Stier said.

Stier said she and other board members were frustrated by the lack

of involvement by downtown businesses, but things really came to a

head when representatives from the Downtown Business Improvement

District tried to stop certain food vendors from setting up

concession stands along Main Street.

The two sides finally worked out an agreement and the downtown

merchants have promised to get more involved during next year’s

celebration.

“They definitely need to bring something to the table,” Barry

Williams of the Fourth of July Board said.

The food vendors and downtown expo was one of this year’s biggest

money makers, Stier said, bringing in roughly $40,000.

Besides the fireworks, the biggest expense continues to be public

safety. The Fourth of July Committee has to raise about $52,000 to

pay for police, fire and marine safety officers to be on hand to

assist in emergencies.

QUESTION

Given the lack of support from downtown merchants and resorts,

should Huntington Beach officials scale back next year’s Fourth of

July parade and fireworks show? Call our Reader’s Hotline at (714)

966-4691 or send e-mail to hbindependent@ latimes.com. Please spell

your name and include your hometown and phone number for verification

purposes.

* DAVE BROOKS covers City Hall. He can be reached at (714)

966-4609 or by e-mail at dave.brooks@latimes.com.