After a one-year absence from the Fourth of July landscape, the Exchange Club’s fireworks show was reprised at a new venue, West Los Angeles College because parts of the Culver City High School grounds are under construction.
“We were pretty nervous about the move from the high school to the college,” said Xavier Nuques, one of two co-chairs of the event for the Exchange Club. “But when we saw the cars streaming in, and the lines of folks waiting eagerly at the gates, we were very relieved.”
Although precise attendance figures on the 48th edition of show are not yet available, parking at the college reached its maximum.
Grandstand seats hugging the edge of the West L.A. football field were full. Organizers said they were less concerned about the numbers than putting the event back on the annual Fourth of July calendar.
“Because we were unable to put the show on last year, we wanted to do everything possible to make sure we didn’t miss another year,” said Mr. Nuques.
“You can’t believe the number of emails and phone calls we got from people all over the community telling us how much they missed this local tradition.
“That is why we were over the moon when West L.A. College opened their doors to us.”
Key financial support also came from the City of Culver City and a direct contribution from the offices of County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas.
In addition to the sky show put on by fireworks purveyor Pyro Spectaculars – the Southern California company chosen by the Rose Bowl and the New York Port Authority to handle their Fourth of July displays – the event featured live music, traditional speeches from elected officials such as Mr. Ridley-Thomas, and there were gourmet food trucks from all over the area.
As has been the case in prior years, all net proceeds from the show will be directed to support efforts to end child abuse and towards youth programs such as college scholarships for local students.
Given their long focus on youth charities, the organizers sought to feature local children and students throughout the program. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by two grade school children while the National Anthem was sung by a college student from West.
In one of the more magical moments of the event, children were invited to the stage to sing the “Happy Birthday” song to America on its 238th birthday.
Despite the crowds and new location, there were no reports of police-related incidents. With West L.A. College being under the jurisdiction of Los Angeles County, the Sheriffs had primary responsibility for policing the event. Because the college also straddles Culver City, police had dominion over the traffic and crowds before and after the show.
“We can’t say enough about the great job both the Sheriffs and Culver City Police Dept. did,” said Mr. Nuques. “This was complicated, and they made it look easy.”
With the apparent success of this year’s event under their belt, show organizers are already making plans for an expanded 49th edition. “Stay tuned,” said an excited Nuques. “Now that we’ve worked out some of the bugs, next year could be bigger and better.”
Mr. Cohn may be contacted at john@thejungle.biz
