Oroville Community Fireworks set for July 4th

OROVILLE – The Oroville Community Fireworks Display will take place again this year at Oroville’s Deep Bay Park, according to Dane Forrester, who organizes the event each year.

The large pyrotechnic display begins just after dark and people not only fill the park on Lake Osoyoos, they also watch from boats and sitting in their cars, and in some cases camp chairs, along Highway 97. Others watch from lakeside residences and from resorts like Veranda Beach and Sandalia, which donate to the show. No matter where you watch from Forrester says that donations to the annual event are always appreciated.

“This year we’ll have a display as big as last year’s,” Forrester said, adding “We also want to do the water displays, but we never know whether we’ve got any of the water shells until our order arrives.”

The annual display is paid for by donations and Greg James, owner of Topics Entertainment, has been a generous supporter for the past several years. Other donations have come from local businesses and individuals. Even though this year’s show is paid for, the Community Fireworks Committee, which is mostly Dane and his wife Joyce, need to start saving a reserve so that the required advance for next year’s show can be paid.

“We never operate in the black, we always need more donations. We have to make sure we have at least $1500 up front by the March 1 deadline. Then we need to come up with the rest of the $5500 by one month before the Fourth of July,” Forrester said.

He said he enjoys putting on the show for the community, but is look for a fraternal or civic organization that would be willing to take over money collection part of the show.

“I’d like to hand-off getting the donations together, I really need someone to take over that part,” he said.