Seasonal & Holidays
$15K Needed For First Night Portsmouth Fireworks, Ice Sculptures
Pro Portsmouth has started a fundraising effort to preserve some of the event's traditional fun happenings; sponsor pledges matching funds.

PORTSMOUTH, NH — This year’s First Night Portsmouth event is focused on outdoor activities — which makes the event’s annual fireworks and ice sculpture presentations all the more important.
Pro Portsmouth, the organizer of the event, is short on funds needed to preserve this part of the event. About $15,000 is needed by Dec. 1 to cover not only material costs but safety costs, too, according to Barbara Massar, the executive director of the organization. So far, about $2,000 in online and in-person funds have been raised.
On Thursday, Massar said a sponsor had pledged $3,000 in matching funds for donations made through Dec. 1. Every donation will be matched dollar-for-dollar — so a $50 donation is actually worth $100.
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“The past year has been a challenge for all of us,” she said. “Will you be one of the donors who helps unlock these matching funds?”
The deadline for signing contracts for the fireworks display and the ice sculptures is also Dec. 1.
Find out what's happening in Portsmouthfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
To make a donation to the Fireworks Campaign, visit proportsmouth.org/donate/ or contact Massar, at bmassar@proportsmouth.org or 603-433-4398, Ext. 3 for this and other sponsorship opportunities.
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