Funding the Bristol 4th of July Celebration

I have four objectives with this article. They are to clarify the Bristol 4th of July Celebration funding sources, to encourage donations from as many people as possible,to point you to our web site www.july4thbristolri.com and for those who wish to receive periodic event updates to forward their e-mail address to us at bristol2274@aol.com.

Last year the total revenue received by the Committee was in excess of $250,000. Some of you may think that the Celebration is funded with your taxes. I believe this because during the Parade solicitation on July 4th many say when asked to contribute that "no, they already contributed with their taxes". To some degree that is true. The significant support provided by the Fire Department, the Police Department and Public Works before during and after the Parade is funded from their respective budgets with a few exceptions. The 2011 contribution from public funds was 5.6% of the Committee's total revenue.

65.9% or the majority of last year's revenue was derived from the various events and fundraisers. This included the carnival, the Drum Corps show,vending licenses,the annual card party, the valentine breakfast , and other events held throughout the year. Sponsors contributed 19% and the collections on Parade Day, Flag Tag Day and during the concerts added 6.9%. The remaining 2.6% was received from private donors who contributed from $5 to $1,000.

Yes, the Celebration is expensive but most of the revenue that supports it is from Committee events,individual supporters and sponsors. This being the case our goal is to increase the number of individual supporters. We ask that the many of you who enjoy the Celebration consider contributing $5 or more and be part of the Oldest 4th of July Celebration. Contributions can be sent to the Bristol 4th of July Committee, PO Box 561, Bristol, RI 02809.

We have created an e-mail program to periodically inform interested recipients about 4th of July Celebration events and activities. As the Celebration season approaches you can expect to receive no more than two e-mails each month to keep you informed. Forward your e-mail address to Bristol2274@aol.com and you will be included in the program. Another great source to stay current is our updated web site, www.july4thbristolri.com. One of the Committee volunteers created the site and is keeping it current. Check it out and share your thoughts with us at bristol2274@aol.com