WINSLOW — Event coordinators are hoping for at least 80 more volunteers for the Winslow Fourth of July celebration, which is run by volunteers and draws thousands to the area.
Event Committee Chairman Kevin Douglass said around 20 of the needed 100 volunteers have signed up to help with the five-day event. In past years all the needed volunteers had already committed by the end of May.
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Douglass said both individuals and groups are needed to help, and it’s a good community service opportunity.
There is no admission charge for the event, which Douglass said draws 70,000 people to the area, and volunteers are necessary if it’s going to continue.
Fundraising for the event is also continuing, with $15,000 raised for the $100,000 event, Douglass said. He said the amount raised is slightly lower than the amount raised at this time in previous years, but he said the number does not include several recent donations. He also said the committee is still fundraising, including a benefit car wash and a raffle for a chance to push the button that launches the fireworks.
Planning the event is a year-round commitment for the community. The volunteer position became a full-time commitment for Douglass about a month ago, and he said the work will continue full-time until a week after the event.
Despite the challenges and the time commitment, Douglass said the event is important for him and for the other committee members because it’s a free option for families to have fun and celebrate the holiday.
He said the hard work now is worth it when he sees excited kids holding American flags and enjoying the day.
“We’ll have hiccups along the road, but the laughs and smiles outweigh those hiccups 100 to one,” he said.
The schedule includes humorist Tim Sample, a giant parade, and new events including a children’s day in Halifax Park.
He said there is a “huge surprise” planned, which will be announced in the park between 3 and 4:30 p.m., Sunday, June 30, the first day of events.
He had earlier described the surprise as something that “will change forever the way the Winslow Family Fourth of July has its entertainment.”
For information about volunteering, go to www.Winslow4thofJuly.com.
Kaitlin Schroeder — 861-9252
kschroeder@mainetoday.com
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