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Ramona’s July 4th — a spectacular event

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This is the 23rd year for Ramona Rotary Club’s July 4th Family Picnic & Fireworks, the off-shoot of a dream of Ramona resident Roy Winchell.

He thought Ramonans shouldn’t have to drive down the hill to July 4th events and was concerned for our safety on the return up the winding highways 67 and 78 after a long day of celebration.

His idea of a home-town celebration, with fireworks, was just lunch-time talk and a pipe dream until 1993, when he was president of the Ramona Rotary Club. He and fellow Rotarian Arnie Fry decided that was the year to make it happen.

With only a few months until July 4th, they made calls — to fire officials, school officials, fireworks vendors, businesses who might be potential sponsors — posing questions and getting answers.

Despite those who said having a fireworks show in Ramona would never get off the ground because of the fire danger, Winchell and Fry pushed on, winning over the naysayers and then getting the thumbs up from officials with their proposal and planning.

Due to a conservative fundraising budget of $4,000, the fireworks vendor worked with Winchell and Fry to put together a basic, but very colorful, skyshow, and put the Rotary club in touch with KYXY Radio so the Ramona show could become part of a fireworks network — getting more bang for the buck, so to speak, since shows that were part of the network could get more fireworks for less money, plus patriotic musical accompaniment.

Hoping for the best, Rotarians asked for and received the community and business donations they needed and worked with school officials to put on the first Ramona skyshow from the fields behind Ramona High School.

On July 4, 1993, Rotarians certainly didn’t know what to expect, since everything had come together so quickly. There were a few booths and some games, but people came, and people had fun. At 9 p.m., when the rockets began to light up Ramona’s skies — accompanied by “God Bless America,” “The Star-Spangled Banner,” “Proud to Be An American” and met with thunderous applause — it was clear: this had to become an annual event.

Since then, the location of the festivities has moved to the fields behind Olive Peirce Middle School.

Today, Ramona Rotary, in coordination with Pyro-Spectaculars and the KYXY Radio fireworks network, and with the continued and growing support of the community and the businesses, is still lighting up the skies over Ramona on July 4th.

It’s a long way from that first $4,000 event. Today’s event costs $30,000 to produce, including equipment, security and of course, the rockets’ red glare — and donations from Ramonans paid for this year’s in full, a tribute to the individuals, organizations, families and businesses contributing.

And it’s all thanks to the determination and perseverance of two Rotarians who wouldn’t take no for an answer, and the continuing hard work by Ramona Rotarians, who, year after year, put in months of planning and organization to make sure that, once again, July 4th in Ramona is a spectacular event.

Schedule of events

Gates & Booths Open.......5 p.m.

Food & Activities Available........5-9 p.m.

Announcements & Music from Sound Prodigy.......5-6:30 p.m.

Rotary Games & Contests (free).......... 5-7 p.m.

Ramona High School NJROTC Color Guard............7 p.m.

National Anthem Sung Immediately after Presentation of Colors

Announcements & Music from Sound Prodigy.......7:30-9 p.m.

Fireworks accompanied by patriotic music broadcast over KYXY 96.5FM Radio.....9 p.m.

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