Show costs approximately $40,000

By Joseph Goral
Staff Writer
jgoral@mihomepaper.com
LAKE ORION — It’s a tradition in Lake Orion that draws people from all around Oakland and Lapeer counties, but the annual Lake Orion fireworks show is at risk of ending, and its organizers are seeking help from the community to light up the sky over the Fourth of July weekend.
This year’s show will cost the Lake Orion Fireworks Foundation (LOFF) $40,000, according to Bob Krefski, one of the organizers who is trying to raise awareness for the show. The fireworks show is currently scheduled for July 5.
“So many people think the village (of Lake Orion) pays for it — the village doesn’t give us a dime,” Krefski said.
Plus, while the township has a population of nearly 40,000 as of 2020 — and between 20,000 and 30,000 people watch the show — Krefski said just the same few hundred people donate every year. The fireworks show is paid for entirely through donations from residents and local businesses.
“If the residents don’t want it, no problem, it’s going to end,” Krefski said. “If they want it, they’ve got to donate money.”
Lake Orion’s DDA has offered to donate $1,000 according to Krefski. Those who do donate will be praised online, he said.
Aside from fundraising, plenty of work goes into planning the show, as LOFF Board of Directors member and Orion resident Greg Rogers told The Lake Orion Review two years ago. Permits need to be filed, the village needs to approve the show, logistics of the fireworks barge need to be coordinated and the group needs to coordinate activities with Oakland County Marine and village police.
While Krefski said everything is currently going smoothly, he also said the LOFF burned out local bars with hosting their bar party fundraisers in past years. Krefski will try “a couple bar ideas this year,” but is focused on finding more residents willing to donate.
Guests can view the show from anywhere on Lake Orion, in the village and at Green’s Park on M-24. There will be an entry fee to Green’s Park during the show.
Anyone interested in donating, or for more information, can contact Krefski via email at rkrefski@comcast.net. For updates, visit the LOFF Facebook page: facebook.com/LakeOrionFireworksFoundation.