“MEDFORD CELEBRATES” AND MEDFORD TOWNSHIP TO RESTORE MEDFORD’S
INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION AND FIREWORKS DISPLAY ON JULY 3, 2012


Medford Celebrates, Inc. (“Celebrates”) and Medford Township have jointly announced plans to stage, on July 3, the Township’s traditional INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION AND FIREWORKS DISPLAY which had been discontinued in 2010 after budgetary shortfalls and cut backs. Celebrates, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, has advised the Township that it has solicited sufficient funds to enable the Township to stage the event at NO cost to the municipality.

Celebrates was founded in early 2011 by 13 Medford residents to raise funds and public support for major Medford Township public events requiring Township services. Its primary goal was to raise the money needed to restore the traditional fireworks display. According to its President, Bob Egan, a large share of the costs of staging the event will be covered by substantial donations from ShopRite of Medford and Wells Fargo Bank. “We are fortunate to have received donations of varying sizes by a number of local businesses and individuals, but ShopRite and Wells Fargo have really stepped up to help us out,” Egan said. In addition, legal services were donated by Archer & Greiner, P.C. and accounting services were donated by the firm of Padden Cooper Lawson Denn Drewry LLC.

At its meeting on May 10, the Medford Township Council lauded the efforts of the Medford Celebrates trustees. Said Mayor James “Randy” Pace “the annual Independence Day fireworks celebration was a true community event that brought all of Medford together. While the Township was regrettably compelled to cancel the fireworks due to budget limitations, we are thrilled that the hard work of this group of residents will restore this wonderful event at no taxpayer expense.” Pace further added “the Council’s appreciation is also extended to all the local businesses, corporations, and non-profits who have invested in and supported efforts to restore this regionally renowned event.”

Egan also praised the efforts of the Celebrates trustees, stating that “a dedicated group of thirteen Medford residents has worked tirelessly for over a year on a wide variety of tasks to get the foundation up and running and solicit donations. There was so much to be done, from setting up the corporation to its overall management to bookkeeping to insurance to public relations to planning and staffing special fund raising events. We would not have reached our goal without the efforts any of these folks.”

Egan singled out Medford resident Chaz Clancy for his efforts. “Chaz, in particular, has spent hours raising money, contacting potential contributors and, in the face of the loss of municipal personnel due to budgetary circumstances, he has been intimately involved in the type of practical planning that is required to stage the fireworks event.”

The 2012 Independence Day Celebration will be held in Freedom Park on July 3, weather permitting. July 5 is the rain date. It will feature many activities that marked the event in the past, plus two new wrinkles. First, YMCA Camp Ockanickon of Medford will sponsor and run a number of activities for children aged 2-12. Second, as a result of a donation by Miller/Coors Brewing Company that was needed to make the fundraising goal, beer will be sold in a Beer Garden, with the sales proceeds benefiting Celebrates. The addition of this feature is a one-time trial; with safeguards in place such as the consumption being confined to a Beer Garden and otherwise prohibited.

Celebrates intends to continue its fundraising efforts at the fireworks event and beyond. As Egan explained, “The fact is that the Township is no longer in a financial position to absorb the costs of staging these events and may never be again. So, if our residents want them to continue, they need to be funded independently. Celebrates provides a way to do that through tax deductible contributions, and also offers business donors advertising opportunities.” Christopher Schultz, Township Manager said that the Independence Day Celebration typically drew approximately 35,000 to Medford in the past, and he would expect roughly that number to return this year, given Medford’s reputation as host to many large scale special events scheduled throughout the year that bring in residents from throughout the region.

After the Independence Day festivities, Celebrates will turn to the sponsors of other traditional township events that are in jeopardy of being discontinued to see if there are ways they can work together to raise funds to underwrite their expenses. Mayor Pace has commented that “these events are part of the fabric of Medford. Given the large number of residents, as well as people from other towns, who expressed their disappointment that the fireworks couldn’t be held in 2010 and 2011, and given the fact that the Car Show has been canceled for 2012, I would hope that Medford Celebrates will continue to get a lot of financial support.”

The Celebrates trustees ask anyone interested in serving as a Trustee or assisting with events and activities to e-mail info@medfordcelebrates.org or call Mr. Egan at 609-519-0841.

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Status Report

Fifteen Medford residents have come together to form Medford Celebrates, Inc., a non-profit corporation dedicated to raising the funds that are needed to stage the major events that have grown to be traditions in our town. All of the people involved are volunteers, devoting their time and energies to the cause.

Our first goal is to raise money to restore the Independence Day celebration and fireworks display AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! As you probably know, the Township was unable to fund the event in 2010 and 2011 due to budgetary concerns, and many people have told us how disappointed they were.

We need a lot of help to meet our goal. We have to raise about $40,000 by June 1. We are developing a plan to raise money is several ways: selling sponsorships for our township events, seeking donations from individuals and businesses, sponsoring fund raising events, and selling logo'ed merchandise.

So, how can you help?

• Donate to the cause!
We have been granted tax exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and donations will be tax deductible. Every little bit helps, so please send your check to Medford Celebrates, Inc., P.O. Box 933, Medford, NJ 08055 or click on the following link and donate whatever you can.
Click to make a Donation

• Attend one of our events!
Click on the following link for more information.

• Help us find donors!
If you know of an organization who might want to make a donation or sponsor one or more of our township events, give me a call at 609-519-0841 or send an email to info@medfordcelebrates.com with the information.

• Volunteer!
We need your time and energy. Our plans are ambitious and, frankly, cannot be carried out by only the 15 Trustees. We need help planning and executing events. If you have the time and want to work with your friends and neighbors for a good cause, call me or send an email to info@medfordcelebrates.com and someone will get back to you. Every little bit helps here, too.

• Give us your ideas!
We don’t pretend to corner the market on ideas that will help our mission. If you have a suggestion, please send an email to info@medfordcelebrates.com.

The bottom line is that we have a core set of people who want to do what they can to restore and preserve traditions in Medford. But, if our residents want our time-honored events to continue, we need donations of money and time, without which we will not be able to meet our goals. We hope that you will help us out.

Bob Egan