Summit Hose seeking donations for 4th of July fireworks in Tarentum

Summit Hose firefighters are asking for the community’s help as they work to bring Fourth of July fireworks back this year.

The department is trying to raise $15,000 to pay for the display, scheduled for the evening of July 3 near Dreshar Stadium.

The department has close to $5,000, said Assistant Chief Ryan Sieminski, fireworks chairman. That does not include Tarentum’s annual contribution.

Borough Manager Michael Nestico said the borough gives $1,500.

Last year’s event was was canceled because of the covid pandemic.

“It was a tough decision for us,” Summit Hose Chief Joshua Fox said. “We didn’t want to cancel, but covid kind of made that decision for us.”

To raise the money, Summit Hose will be sending letters to residents asking for donations, and members are selling raffle tickets. Information on raffle tickets is available on the company’s Facebook page.

Donations given last year will go toward this year’s display, Fox said.

“This year, we’re heavily dependent on people buying the tickets,” Fox said. “We hope we get the support from the community this year as well.”

Sieminski said the department is using Ace Pyro for a second year and is planning on having a 10- to 15-minute show. The show could be longer if more money comes in, he said.

“If everybody would donate a dollar, it would help,” he said.

While a fireworks display is planned, the festivities that usually precede them will not be held. When planning was started in January, there were too many unknowns about ever-changing pandemic-related guidelines, Fox said.

“We didn’t want to take the chance of opening everything up and all of a sudden the CDC says we’re back to a certain limit on how many can be in a gathering,” he said. “It’s a very difficult decision. I hope everyone understands that.”

That change means that instead of the fireworks being a fundraising event for the department, it has become an expense.

“We know that we’re not going to make the money that we usually make,” Fox said. “We care about our community. We love Tarentum Borough. We love the A-K Valley.

“We just want to bring a little bit of happiness back to the borough. It’s been a doom-and-gloom year. It’s always nice to see people smile and cheer and clap. We missed that last year.”

Any donations received over what is needed to pay for the fireworks will go toward the department’s trucks, equipment and maintenance, Fox said.

“This is a tradition in the Valley. Summit Hose has sponsored the fireworks for many years, and we plan to continue and keep that tradition,” he said. “Next year, God willing, we’ll be back to normal routines. Our main goal is to keep everybody safe and healthy. That’s why we’re here.”