From the Desk of Chief Keith Chester

Our annual July 4th Celebration is just around the corner. We are anticipating record attendance this year.
The tragedies of September 11th 2001 have created resurgence in patriotism.

We are naming this year’s event “Celebrate America’s Freedom”.

The theme is meant to incorporate several related values:

1. Remembering our American history of 250 years;

2. Honoring the sacrifices of our military, police, and fire veterans while protecting our freedom against aggressors;

3. Recognition of the heroes and victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks;

4. Celebrating our freedoms as expressed in the original Bill of Rights – the right to assembly, freedom of religion, the right to free speech, etc. as well as the later Amendments to the Constitution-women’s suffrage, civil rights equality, etc.

It is our goal to make this a true hometown celebration that all will enjoy.

As with last year’s celebration, the Teens and Staff from the Lake Helen Police Department’s Teen Program will be coordinating the event. Several volunteers from the community have already offered their assistance and more are needed. There is a lot that goes into our July 4th Celebrations. It is very gratifying to see so many people come together, as a community, to make July 4th a very special day. We have proudly become known around the County for this event.

If you are unable to help as a volunteer, perhaps you can help by donating to the fireworks fund. This fund helps us purchase the fireworks, provide the entertainment, and helps support the Miss Lake Helen – Cassadaga pageant. We have placed donation jars around the community in businesses. In the near future, we will have our teens out collecting donations at intersections. Donations will also be accepted at City Hall. Checks should be made payable to the City of Lake Helen Fireworks Fund.

We will be publishing programs prior to July 4th detailing the day’s activities. The programs will be placed in businesses prior to July 4th and then distributed the day of the event. We will be contacting businesses from around Southwest Volusia County in an attempt to sell advertisement spaces in the programs to assist in financing this year’s celebration.

If you are interested in volunteering or placing an advertisement in our program, please contact me at 228-2145. If you are interested in giving a donation you can drop it in any of the jars that are around town, drop it in one of our baskets when we are out at an intersection, or mail it or drop it off at City Hall. This years celebration will cost approximately fifteen-thousand dollars; we need your help.

I would like to thank Pat Chadwick and The City Observer staff for their support. I truly appreciate all that Pat and the rest of the staff at The City Observer has done and is doing for the Police Department, the Teen Program, the City, and the citizens we serve.