By: Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
Families flocked to the Fairgrounds Friday evening for the annual Independence Day Bucyrus firework display.
In its eleventh year of putting on the fireworks event, the Kiwanis Club of Bucyrus took over handling the event after the J.C.’s folded. Using sponsorships as well as donations, the Bucyrus Kiwanis Club were able to pull in $10,000 to spend on the show.
Bucyrus Kiwanis Club representative Doug Watts explained his favorite part of the explosive extravaganza.
“Seeing all the little kids enjoying the fireworks is probably my favorite,” Watts said.
Pyrotecnico were in charge of setting up and setting off the fireworks display. Pyrotecnico employee Greg Shoults explained how they set off the fireworks for the show.
“It takes about six hours to set up, Shoults said. “Part of the show is going to be hand-fired with a road flare, and the bigger shells that are out there, the 8 inch, anything greater than 6 inches has to be fired electronically.”
“The finale is usually the big culmination, because during the show we are running around and don’t have time to look up and watch,”Shoults explained. But when the finale goes off it is all electric so we get a chance to watch the ending.
Michelle Wagner attended the event with daughter’s Madison and Kaitlyn, son Jacob, and mother Carol.
“It is just one of my kids’ favorite events,” Michelle said. Every year we come, ever since they were little we have come. And her (Madison) birthday is on July 4 so we come out to celebrate her birthday.”
Roger and Donna Welsh, who attended the event with family, have been coming to the event together since it was last held in Aumiller Park in the 1980’s.
“We enjoy just sitting here with family and watching the fireworks,” Welsh said.
A photo gallery of the event can be found in the photos section of this website.