Farmers New World Life, Local Businesses Ensure Summer Celebration Fireworks Show Goes On

The is officially on thanks to the generosity of some last minute sponsors, say officials, who came forward as was preparing to announce they'd cancelled the show due to a lack of funds.

Local businesses & Mercer Island Medical Imaging, the Mercer Island Community Fund and the Island's largest employer, , all contributed to preserving full funding for the traditional slate of events, including the fireworks show. Puget Sound Energy and Overlake Hospital Medical Center also contributed to the effort.

Traditionally part of the Summer Celebration festivities, the fireworks show budget of $22,850 was cut last year as the city tried to head-off a projected $6 million shortfall for the biennium. As spring months went by, the city asked local organizations step forward in an effort to rescue the show. At a May 2 City Council meeting, the announced a $10,000 matching grant for the fireworks, but donors were slow to come forward. 

The city was prepared to cancel the event, but City Manager Rich Conrad credited a visit by a Farmers executive at his City Hall office earlier this month with turning that around. Office Services Manager Skip Reynolds — a Farmers' executive who sometimes works with local organizations such as and the in using the company's parking lot — offered to help fund the Summer Celebration events with a donation of $10,000, pushing the city past their fundraising goal.

"It was a very generous offer," Conrad said. "I guess Skip had heard about it through the grapevine."

The following companies and donations were made to keep the Summer Celebration fireworks show afloat:

• Mercer Island Community Fund ($10,000)
• Farmers New World Life Insurance ($10,000) 
• Overlake Hospital Medical Center ($4,000)
• Mercer Wellness Chiropractic ($3,500)
• Puget Sound Energy ($1,500)
• Mercer Island Medical Imaging ($1,000)

Several other private donations by citizens amounting to several hundred dollars were also raised for the Summer Celebration fireworks show. City Recreation Superintendent Diane Mortenson said corporate donors at that level would get sponsor benefits such as name recognition on event literature, the city's website, and an informational booth booth. Conrad said the excess amount of donations would be rolled over to help pay for the 2012 Summer Celebration events. Farmers New World Life Insurance executive Reynolds said the company's donation wasn't intended to be directed only at the fireworks but could be applied to the celebration in general. 

"It's really just in support of the entire Summer Celebration event," Reynolds said "The city can use the money however they like."

The city estimates 7,000 to 8,000 attendees usually watch from . Officials said they'd need to pay for the fireworks by June at the latest, several weeks in advance of the show to reserve the floating barge and purchase all the fireworks.

The City of Mercer Island is still seeking donations for Summer Celebration events. If you would like to make a donation towards the fireworks or become a co-sponsor, email the Festival Director, Amber Britton.