Volunteers Aim To Please July 4th Crowd

Pottstown's July 4th festivities will continue as usual, an official for the event said on Wednesday. 

Despite the need to collect roughly $30,000 to break even, the 12-member Independence Day Limited -- aka Pottstown 4th of July Committee -- is "optimistic" late fundraising will come through as it has in the past, said committee co-chairperson Karen Imes on Wednesday.

This year's event, slated to cost roughly $45,000, was never in jeopardy of being called off, she said.

"Somehow there's bad publicity going around," she said. "None of that is true . . . We can get that last minute support."

The event typically raises a big chunk of money at the parade, from vendors and donations collected during the holiday festivities, she said. 

Deposits were made as usual for the annual fireworks display and other activities, she said.

"We anticipated corporate sponsors and donations," she said of last minute fundraisers.

As long as the weather cooperates, the event will include hot air balloons, entertainment, rides, a parade, bike race and fireworks, Imes said.

"I would like to reassure the community that everything will be the same ... nothing has changed," she said.

Nothing has been or will be canceled, she said.

"We are very grateful to everybody who has done what they've done for us," Imes said. 

Pottstown Borough helps with the event in terms of trash collection, security and traffic direction but does not contribute a lot of money, said the municipality's manager Jason Bobst.

"They do their own separate fundraising," he said of the Independence Day committee. "The borough gives two-hundred and fifty dollars per year."