Celebrate America - Prayer Needed

I need to ask you to pray for wisdom and for finances for Celebrate America, the annual fireworks event that South Whidbey Assembly has organized and hosted for the last 17 years, in Freeland.

This has been a very difficult year organizing the event. We have had multiple obstacles to overcome all the way from changing the firework pyrotechnicians to the fundraising. The fundraising has not gone as well as it has in previous years. The cost of most components of the event has increased again this year. We have ironed out almost all of the difficult areas except the funding.

All of the businesses that have been large supporters are either unable to help this year or they have had to cut back their support significantly. This has left us with more than a $10,000 shortage.

The determination was made, we needed to have $20,000 of the money pledged or in hand by the end of May or we would have to cancel the event. As of May 31st we are a few thousand dollars short of the $20,000. The total budget is $29,000, so even if the $20,000 was realized we still have about a third of the money to collect.

The South Whidbey Record is running another plea on Saturday and we are shaking every bush we can think of that may not have been shaken so far.

The decision has not been made yet, to pull the plug. I am waiting until the last possible minute in hopes that the funding comes in.

A decision will be made by June 10th whether or not the event will happen. It would be too bad not be able to offer this event to the community. It is in Jesus’ hands.

Please pray that we will have clarity, as the week goes by, and that, if Celebrate America should happen this year, that the money needed will come in quickly.

Thanks.