PLYMOUTH ADVANCEMENT ASSOCIATION PRESENTS BENEFACTORS WITH PROCEEDS FROM JULY 4TH FIRE FEST FIREWORKS SHOW AT ROAD AMERICA
ELKHART LAKE, Wis., - The Plymouth Advancement Association, Inc., is thrilled to report that the July 4th fireworks event held at Elkhart Lake’s Road America was remarkably successful and raised $74,500.00. Benefactors of this event are the Sheboygan County Food Bank, Elkhart Lake Fire Department, and the Plymouth Fire Department.
The July 4th Fire Fest event was created to recognize Sheboygan County residents for their tenacity and spirit during the COVID-19 “Safer at Home” period which ended in late May of this year. The event, coined as “One Community – One Purpose,” originated when it was apparent that July 4th events throughout Wisconsin and Sheboygan County were being canceled as there wasn’t a way to achieve social distancing at venues with limited space.
“We had to find an enormous space which would be safe to watch fireworks,” said Lee Gentine, President of the Plymouth Advancement Association (PAA). “Road America was the only kind of venue that could accommodate a very large crowd safely and President Mike Kertscher immediately agreed to make their 640-acre site available.”
“Mike and his team at Road America were simply the best people to work with and they managed the customer registration, communication, restrooms, lighting, and more,” added Gentine. The firework event itself was the largest ever in Sheboygan County and launched by Speilbauer Fireworks Company of Green Bay. Speibauer had 15 personnel doing set up and shooting the fireworks. To accommodate a high volume of cars, both fire departments coordinated parking and the Sheboygan County Sheriff’s Department controlled highway traffic at the gates.
“This was an opportunity for us to offer innovative use of our facilities and we are pleased with the results of this extremely successful event which allowed people to enjoy fireworks as well as support important community organizations,” said Mike Kertscher, Road America’s President and General Manager. In addition to welcoming fans to “America’s National Park of Speed” for racing events, Road America is hosting its second outdoor movie night on August 21. The movie RUSH will be shown and tickets are $25 per car and printed at home to allow for a contactless experience.
The Fire Fest tickets purchased by the public, along with the Plymouth Advancement Association, Inc., and several sponsors made this event possible. Sponsors included Sartori Foods, Rockline Industries, Northwoods Shelby Club, Pleasant View Realty, Bank First, Van Horn Automotive Group, National Exchange Bank & Trust, Red Truck Marketing and Plymouth Foam. The Plymouth Advancement Association, Incorporated, is a non-profit 501 © (3) corporation founded in 1994 with a mission to enhance the quality of life for the residents of Plymouth and the surrounding area.
[Photo caption: Checks from the Plymouth Advancement Association were presented to the following individuals, left to right: Pat Zorn, Elkhart Lake Fire Department Chief; Denis Fellows, Plymouth Fire Department Chief; Patrick Boyle, Sheboygan County Food Bank Executive Director; Lee Gentine, President and Jackie Jarvis, Vice President of the Plymouth Advancement Association; and Mike Kertscher, Road America President and General Manager.]