Great Bonacs Fireworks Saved In Last Hour

EAST HAMPTON, NY - The Great Bonac Fireworks Show has been saved.

So said a post by Billy Kalbacher, conceptual director of the Clamshell Foundation, the organization that has always hosted the beloved East Hampton tradition, on Friday.

"The Clamshell Foundation is proud to announce that we have raised enough money for The Great Bonac Fireworks Show to go on!" he wrote in a Facebook post. "This would not have been possible without the generous contributions from our community and a large donation by one family that asked to be anonymous. We know that The Clamshell Foundation Founder, Rossetti Perchik, would be thrilled."

The fireworks take place on July 16 at 9 p.m.

Kalbacher also announced that 2016 will be the last year The Clamshell Foundation organizes The Great Bonac Fireworks.

"If you, or someone you know, would possibly be interested in taking the reins next year please contact The Clamshell Foundation and we will provide you with everything you need for a successful transition."

Many in East Hampton were fearful that the event would be a memory, after the event was initially canceled.

The Clamshell Foundation, founded by Rossetti Perchik, who died on May 7, normally sponsors the event. It was Perchik's personal financial contributions that were primarily responsible for "making the fireworks happen," the Foundation said.

But with his death, the fireworks were in danger of fading from the sky forever.

"In following with Rossetti's wishes, The Clamshell Foundation will solely be focusing its efforts on the premiere fundraising event, The Sandcastle Contest, to ensure we can continue giving out annual scholarships to East Hampton High School students and to help protect our local waters and beaches," a release from the Foundation said recently.

One hundred percent of all profits go back to the community. The 25th Annual Sandcastle Contest will take place on August 6 at Atlantic Avenue Beach in Amagansett from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

But the fireworks are a tradition in East Hampton, with legions of families looking forward to the glorious display.

To that end, a GoFundMe page, The Great Fireworks Show, was created, and has so far garnered $16,506 of its $60,000 goal. The rest has been donated by the private donor.

Supporters included East Hampton Town Supervisor Larry Cantwell, who wrote on Facebook. "Let's all chip in and save this great tradition of fireworks in Three Mile Harbor. If you have ever spent a summer in East Hampton you know the Great Bonac Fireworks is the best show to see. By boat or by land. from any point along the harbor or on Maidstone or Sammy's Beach. We lost Ross, we can't lose the event he maintained for all of us for all of these years."

The fundraiser was organized to keep the fireworks show going, the GoFundMe page reads. "Rossetti Perchik, who founded the Clamshell Foundation passed away this spring. He has kept the Fireworks show going all these years. They will end unless we can raise 60,000 for the Clamshell Foundation to pay for the cost to put on the show."

There was an urgency, with only 19 days to raise the money to make a commitment to Grucci Fireworks when the page was created — with only six days left Friday when the goal was met.

"As a community we need to pull together and raise the money to keep it going in his honor," the page said.