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Minot Fireworks Association wants to put on a great show this July 4

Submitted Photo Fireworks explode at last year’s show at the North Dakota State Fairgrounds. Fundraising is under way to make this year’s show special.

The July Fourth fireworks display at the North Dakota State Fairgrounds promises to be better than ever.

Adam Dyess, president of the Minot Fireworks Association, said the organization hopes to raise funds for the display and is now just a couple of thousand dollars short. The association has raised enough funds to put on the display this year, but it wants to raise enough to have a comfortable financial cushion. Any additional funding raised will be used for next year’s display.

Most of the large donations have come from local businesses and some individuals. The Go Fund Me site at www.gofundme.com/MinotFireworks2019 was set up to enable individuals to contribute small donations if they want to do so and has a goal of $15,000.

The group also has a Facebook page. Dyess said Cash Wise Grocery is taking donations at its registers for the fireworks display.

Dyess said he and the other members of the Minot Fireworks Association figure that the fireworks display could be completely funded if 3 percent of the population of Minot each made a $1 donation.

Submitted Photo Fireworks explode at last year’s show at the North Dakota State Fairgrounds. Fundraising is under way to make this year’s show special.

The funding that is raised will help pay for insurance and fireworks materials and other expenses.

The Minot Fireworks Association took over organizing the fireworks display last year. Dyess said the city had not put on a fireworks display for several years and other groups took over managing it in turn. In 2017, the year that he took over as marketing director at the Nodak Speedway, there was no fireworks display at all.

The Nodak Speedway had been involved in fundraising and organizing past events, but that year it became clear that one official group was needed to facilitate a display every year. There are now about six core members of the Minot Fireworks Organization who have been working hard on raising money for this year’s upcoming Independence Day celebration.

The fireworks that will be used in the display are built by Mum Pyrotechnics from Sawyer, said Dyess. Dyess said fireworks enthusiast Derek Miller of Mum Pyrotechnics and others build the fireworks by hand and have competed at national shows.

Mum Pyrotechnics also put on last year’s show at the fairgrounds, which attracted a lot of positive feedback.

Submitted Photo Fireworks explode at last year’s show at the North Dakota State Fairgrounds. Fundraising is under way to make this year’s show special.

“It will be a very similar show (this year),” said Dyess, and will be timed to music.

Like last year, there will be a VIP viewing area about 400 yards away from the fireworks display for those who have made a $500 or greater donation.

Dyess said the group will be taking donations right up to the Fourth of July celebration and even afterwards, as it begins to work on next year’s show.

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