Beachwood Fireworks Set to Dazzle Spectators This Monday

As traffic thickens on the Garden State Parkway and people begin preparing for a long Fourth of July weekend, final preparations are also being made for the fireworks on the Toms River.

The display - hosted by Beachwood every year for over seven decades - can be seen from all the river towns. The impressive annual show can be seen even from Island Heights all the way to Seaside Heights.

However, getting to that point takes a lot of fund-raising and manpower, as preparations for Monday's pyrotechnics display started as early as January.

 The July 4th Committee gathers donations, prepares activities during the day and meets with the pyrotechnics provider, Schaefer Fireworks Incorporated several times throughout the year to hash out what will happen when it's time to light up the night.

"The committee works hard in contacting past sponsors and trying to obtain new ones. It's always important to keep generating funds, but we have them there as seed money in case we fall short," said Councilwoman Beverly Clayton, who also works on the July 4th Committee. "We also work closely with our fire department, police department and the borough."

Donations from borough families generally begin pouring in as the weather gets warmer and postcards from the committee land in peoples' mailboxes. Donations from families can range anywhere between $5 and $100.

"We appreciate every check that goes into the show," Clayton said. "It all goes into a trust, so it's not being paid for with borough funds or taxpayer dollars. It is solely paid for by donations."

This year, the four major contributors are WOBM-FM, Comcast, TD Bank and Spirits Unlimited. A long time donor to the show, WOBM provides an added element to the show by simultaneously broadcast music specifically set to the fireworks in the sky.

"[WOBM-FM] brings a van down to our beach and has games to play with the people spread around near the beach waiting for the show to start," said Clayton. "It's all broadcast live."

This year marks the 71st year that Beachwood has hosted the fireworks on the Toms River. Things have changed over the years. The  borough used to fund the show out of pocket.

Fire department members would drive down to the Carolinas to pick up the boxes of fireworks, transport them back into town and then fire them straight from the beach's sand - before safety codes restricted where they could be fired from.

Former Beachwood Mayor William T. Hornidge was the "grandfather" of the fireworks display. He laid the groundwork for a donation-based show.

"[Hornidge] was a wonderful man," Clayton said. "He and many other people like Kevin Williams went out and solicited for this great show."

This year's show is set to begin at 9 p.m. on Monday.

"It's always a great show. The finale at last year's show was like a full finale for a half hour - and then we had the finale," said Clayton. "Our volunteers play a large part in this. It's the volunteers that make this happen and the donations that come in. I hope we can do this forever for Beachwood and all the surrounding towns."