City firework show ‘in the works’
Published 11:31 pm Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Fireworks light up the night sky during last year’s Fourth of July celebration at Memorial Stadium. The event, which will be held again this year, is a partnership between the chamber and local governments and the Dallas County Commission. Last year’s event drew thousands of spectators to the stadium.
The people of Selma will once again have the opportunity to tget heir patriotic fix at Memorial Stadium this Fourth of July, as the Selma city officials have announced their plans for the annual Independence Day celebration.
The event will take place on July 4 beginning at 5:30 p.m. and will feature speeches by city leaders, including Selma Mayor George Evans, Dallas County Probate Judge Kim Ballard and Selma City Council President Cecil Williamson, as well as music and a fireworks display hosted by Pyro Productions Inc.
Sheryl Smedley, executive director of the Selma-Dallas County Chamber of Commerce, encouraged all community members to come and enjoy the event, themed “Youth: America’s Heritage and Hope.”
“Events like this one give us a chance to show the unity in our community,” Smedley said. “To have people unite with one another in a public setting is just great. We’re all excited for this year’s event.”
Last year, more than 1,000 people braved afternoon showers to attend the event. Attendees were allowed to tour the renovated facility, honor members of the armed forces and enjoy a fireworks show.
“Last year was awesome,” Smedley said. “We had the veterans come out and they were all recognized. It was a very moving event and it showed all the talent that we have in our community. It just blows my mind the talent that we have here. Each time we have events like these, you get the community involved and it’s just amazing to see all the talent in and around our area.”
Organizers, like Selma Mayor George Evans, are still working to finalize details, but said they expect to announce them by the end of this week.
“We’re going to try and get some choirs and soloists to perform, our police and fire chiefs will be there and be part of the ceremony and we also want to invite our veterans to be a part of the celebration,” Evans said.
Evans said that the event every year is a great opportunity for the community to come together and he said he knows how much people love the fireworks.
“It’s an opportunity for everyone to get out and fellowship and remember why we are celebrating independence day and we want to make sure we never forget what happened to give us our freedom,” Evans said.
