BonnerSprings.com

As tents proffering fireworks have sprouted up across the city of Bonner Springs, there are a few where one’s desire to celebrate the Fourth of July in typical, explosive fashion may be equally matched with one’s desire to show some philanthropic generosity.

Project Graduation and Elm Grove Baptist Church are two organizations in the area selling fireworks in an effort to raise funds for such events as a no-alcohol lock-down graduation party next year and a youth conference at the end of this month.

Project Graduation is an organization in Bonner Springs devoted to the raising of money for an end-of-year party for Bonner Springs High School graduates. Instead of going out to graduation parties and drinking with friends, Project Graduation offers an alternative in the form of a no-alcohol, no-drug lockdown party that goes on all night, always in a location offering such pastimes as bowling, miniature golf and other games.

Project Graduation president Theresa Buehler said these parties are usually attended by more than 80 percent of the BSHS graduating class in any given year — the organization has existed for six years. To put on a party that graduates will want to attend costs anywhere from $15,000 to $20,000, she said.

“I think this is going to be a big part of the total amount of fundraising (we do),” Buehler said of the fireworks tent.

This is the third year Project Graduation has sold fireworks, but only the first year the organization is doing so on its own steam. The last two years, both the tent and fireworks had been purchased by another party, leaving Project Graduation with just the proceeds from commission. Buehler said last year, only $1,400 had been raised.

This year, all the Black Cat-brand fireworks and tent were purchased by Project Graduation; the asphalt lot was donated by Porter’s Buggy Bath/Ensign Storage. Cheryle Seaton, parent of an incoming senior, said taking care of all expenses was expected to produce much more promising results.

“We’re hoping that it makes half of what we need,” Seaton said.

Manning two tents, one in front of the Thriftway and one next to Price Chopper, will be Elm Grove Baptist Church. Youth pastor Malachi O’Brien said the church was selling fireworks for the first time to help fund a trip to this year’s Impact Youth Conference in Gatlinburg, Tenn., for 25 young church members. Ever since he took the job as youth pastor with the Elm Grove Baptist Church three years ago, O’Brien said he was sending young people to the Impact Youth Conference. He said it was important for them to have spiritual opportunities outside of the realm of church, especially as they gear up for another year of school and face peer pressures, such as drinking and drugs.

“(The Impact Youth Conference) challenges them to make decisions that’ll affect the rest of their lives in terms of living right, being pure,” O’Brien said. “It’s a time where they get revived. It beats the everyday Sunday thing they’re used to.”

The July conference costs about $275 per student and though, O’Brien said, $2,000 had already been set aside from the church budget for the trip, a total of $4,000 still needs to be raised.

“I’m hoping that we get a lot of participation out of church people and friends and family of church people,” O’Brien said.

The Elm Grove tent will receive 14 percent commission from the sale of fireworks, and O’Brien said he was confident that much of the $4,000 goal could be achieved. He said he made a deal with those going on the conference that anyone who helped man the tents would get half their trip taken care of through the church’s fundraising efforts.

The Project Graduation tent is located in front of Porter’s Buggy Bath at Kansas Highway 7 and 130th Street. The Elm Grove Baptist Church tents are located in front of the Thriftway, at 112 Oak Street, and next to Price Chopper at 501 S. Commercial Drive. Basehor-Linwood High School will also be running a tent in support of Project Grad, another organization devoted to putting on an after-graduation party for graduating seniors, in front of Evergreen Chinese Restaurant, at 13034 Kansas Ave.

The city of Bonner Springs allows the sale of fireworks through the Fourth of July. Fireworks may be discharged from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. July 3 and 4.

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