To the Editor:

I have been watching the strong response by Wareham and Onset citizens to the announcement that there would be no fireworks in Onset this year, and I realized that people have many misconceptions about the Onset Bay Association as well as the fireworks.

The Onset Bay Association is an organization that’s mission is to create events that make Onset a better place to visit and live. It is the hope; that by providing great things for people to do, Onset and Wareham will be a place people will want to be. They currently put on over 30 events a year that entertain tens of thousands of citizens and visitors.

So here is where the misconceptions comes in. The OBA is run by volunteers. It is not run by the town. It is not a business with people on staff getting paid. From top to bottom things get done by volunteers.

What does it take to put on one of these events, including the fireworks? First you need a passionate leader that will own the entire coordination of the event. Someone who is willing to give up hundreds of hours of time each year to plan and execute the event. Planning an event includes laying out the timeline, creating a budget, raising money, hiring vendors and performers, advertising the event, coordinating details with the town including the Board of Selectmen, the town administrator, the police, the fire department, the harbormaster and the maintenance department. Then that person needs to build a team of volunteers that will actually make it all happen. This involves a lot of people that are willing to commit, show up all year long, get things done and give up their time the day of the event to work the event.

The last few weeks I have seen and heard people blame the OBA for the lack of fireworks. The reality is that the OBA is just the vehicle for creating the event. The real problem is that no one has wanted to be the leader or a volunteer of the fireworks event. The OBA has repeatedly asked people to step up. No one did. I’ve seen people complain that the OBA didn’t actively seek donations. Who exactly would do that if no one has volunteered to be on the Fireworks Committee? Each of the current people at the OBA is already a passionate leader of an event or a volunteer helping on an event. We should be thanking them for what the already do. We should each be asking ourselves if we are passionate enough about the fireworks to be part of making them happen. It’s hard work with no pay but if the strong response around town is any indication, it’s an event people care about.

The fireworks used to be organized and run by several groups. The other groups have fallen away over the years. The hard working volunteers of the past have had to step away and no one has stepped in to fill their shoes. The OBA kept it going as long as they could with the volunteers they had. There may not be fireworks this year, but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen next year. It’s a great event that makes people want to visit and live in Onset and Wareham. I truly believe that somewhere in town there is someone with enough passion, enough time, and some outstanding planning skills that can bring this back.

I have been a volunteer for the OBA the last two years and have enormous respect for the amount the small group of volunteers is able to accomplish. I’d like to believe that I’m helping make this a better place to live and visit. The fireworks are probably the biggest community event in Wareham and Onset. I truly believe that our community can and should step up, get involved and make this happen again. The Facebook page to get involved is www.facebook.com/WarehamOnsetFireworks/.

Respectfully,

Linda Hannon