City Hosting 2021 Fireworks Show, Seeks Community Organization to Take Over Future Fireworks Events

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 19, 2021

St. Helens, Ore. – The City of St. Helens is hosting a 2021 Independence Day fireworks show on the St. Helens riverfront on Sunday, July 4. While several major fireworks shows in the region have already announced cancellations this year, the City of St. Helens is committed to hosting a display to celebrate Independence Day and bring the community together.

“The last year and a half have been very difficult for the St. Helens community with people being asked to social distance and delay or cancel important celebrations and events due to COVID-19,” said Mayor Rick Scholl. “The St. Helens City Council hopes that this fireworks show will help bring a sense of hope and normalcy back to the community.”

The fireworks will be launched from Sand Island over the Columbia River. The Island is a traditional site to host the show from and one of the most unique fireworks locations in the region.

The City of St. Helens will be monitoring COVID-19 guidelines issued by the Oregon Health Authority in the coming weeks to determine what additional events are possible to incorporate as part of the celebration. In recent years, the City typically organizes a concert at the Columbia View Park amphitheater, hosts vendor booths along Strand Street, and partners with community organizations and veteran groups to conduct a traditional bell ringing ceremony, flag raising, and National Anthem recital.

This year’s show is made possible by a donation from Comcast and Paradise Moorage which is providing fireworks transportation to Sand Island.

As part of this year’s fireworks display, a shell is being specially designed by Western Fireworks, the business the City contracts with to provide the show, to honor Ed Lokken’s legacy. Lokken was instrumental in organizing the St. Helens fireworks show for over three decades. After the fireworks finale, there will a pause of several seconds before the memorial firework is lit in Lokken’s memory.

Lokken was born and raised in St. Helens, Oregon. For more than 35 years, Lokken volunteered with the fundraising efforts and organization of the annual Fourth of July fireworks show. Lokken was recognized by the City of St. Helens in 2016 with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his countless years of dedication. He passed away in 2018, and St. Helens community members spearheaded a special fireworks tribute in his honor on December 8, 2018.

Lokken’s tribute this year signals the City’s desire to return the show’s organization and fundraising efforts back to the community. The show was historically coordinated by residents, with a community 501c3 providing the funding through fundraiser efforts such as street dances and auctions. In recent years, the City stepped in to take over the event when the St. Helens Community Foundation was no longer able to organize enough volunteers or find sufficient funding to host the show. The annual fireworks show costs an average of $15,000 to $18,000.

In March 2021, the City of St. Helens conducted a survey asking the St. Helens community about the 2021 fireworks show and the City’s involvement in its future. Approximately 450 people took the survey, with responses indicating that people preferred a community organization to take the event over.

“We have listened to what our residents have told us, and we are now asking for a community group to take ownership of this event,” said Mayor Scholl. “The City is stepping down after this year and will no longer oversee the planning or fundraising for the fireworks. We are committed to being faithful stewards of the community’s tax dollars and acting on the feedback that we receive from our citizens. The future of the show is now in the hands of the community.” 

Anyone interested in taking over the Independence Day celebration or wishing to volunteer should contact City Administrator John Walsh at jwalsh@sthelensoregon.gov or 503-366-8211.

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For further information regarding the St. Helens fireworks show, please contact Communications Officer Crystal King at crystalf@ci.st-helens.or.us.