Fireworks in Ramona Compliments of the Ramona Rotary Club
Photo credit: Dr. Gary Meyers, OD
From the San Diego Union Tribune - June 28, 2017
Expect more booms and a brighter skyshow as Ramona Rotary Club celebrates its and the community's 25th year of July 4 Family Picnic and Fireworks on Tuesday, July 4.
In addition to being the 25th anniversary of fireworks in Ramona, 2017 marks Ramona Rotary's 80th anniversary and the 100th year of Rotary International Foundation, so Rotarians are stepping it up a notch this year.
As always, admission is free and the fun starts at 5:00 p.m. with an old-fashion community celebration that includes food, games family activities, and music. The grand finale will start at 5:00 p.m. with a 20-minutes skyshow synchronized to music on KyXy 96.5 FM Radio. All activities are on the fields behind Olive Pierce School on Hanson Lane.
This annual event is an off-shoot of a dream Ramona resident Roy Winchell had. He thought Ramonans shouldn’t have to drive down the hill to enjoy Independence Day and he was concerned for their safety on the return home up the winding highways of 67 and 78 after a long day of celebration. His idea of a hometown celebration with fireworks was just lunchtime talk and a pipedream until 1993, when he was president of the Ramona Rotary Club. He and fellow Rotarian, Arnie Fry decided that was the year to make it happen. Despite those who said having a fireworks show in Ramona would never get off the ground because of the fire danger, Winchell and Fry pushed on, winning over the naysayers and then getting the thumbs up for their proposal and planning from officials.
Due to a conservative fundraising budget of $4,000, the fireworks vendor working with Winchell and Fry put together a basic, but very colorful, skyshow and put Rotary in touch with KyXy Radio so the Ramona show could become part of a fireworks network – getting more bang for the buck, so to speak, since shows that were part of the network could get more fireworks for less money, plus patriotic music accompaniment.
Hoping for the best, Rotarians asked for and received the community and business donations they needed and worked with the school district to put on the first Ramona skyshow from the fields behind Ramona High School.
On July 4, 1993, Rotarians didn’t know what to expect, since everything had come together so quickly. There were a few booths and some games, but people came and they had fun. At 9 p.m., when the rockets began to light up Ramona’s skies, accompanied by “God Bless America,” “The Star-Spangled Banner,” “Proud to Be an American” and more, the thunderous applause made it clear: This had to be an annual event. Since then, the location of the festivities has moved to the fields behind Olive Peirce Middle School.
Today, Ramona Rotary, in coordination with Pyro-Spectaculars and the KyXy Radio network, and with the continued and growing support of the community and businesses, is still lighting up the skies of Ramona on our country’s Independence Day.
It’s a long way from that first $4,000 event. Today’s Event costs $33,000 to produce, including equipment, security, insurance, fire plan and inspection, fire code specialist, and, of course, the rockets’ red glare.
It’s all thanks to the determination and perseverance of two Rotarians who wouldn’t take no for an answer, and the continuing hard work of Ramona Rotarians who, year after year, put in months of planning and organization to make sure that, once again, July 4th in Ramona is a spectacular event.