My name is Hal Rhoad and along with my wife Page, we are second generation Lake Burton summer residents. In 1980/81 I was in my early 20’s and took over the effort to organize a professional fireworks display from long time Lake Burton resident Mason Whitney of Whitney Realty. Mason just recently passed away and without his support and encouragement this probably would have never happened. My early years involved raising the money via mail and ferrying the shells and crew out to Billy Goat Island on my pontoon boat. Now with the help of many volunteers from our Fire Departments and the support of The Mountain Patrol and Georgia Power Company, and the generosity of the families around the lake this show has grown from a meager $3000 to the $23,000+ show we all enjoyed last summer.
As you can see we have entered the 21st Century via our new website that will take the place of the bulky and expensive one time mailing we sent out every year past. We are sending a post card to remind everyone to send in a donation, ($50/family) or whatever you can send. We would love to have your email address so we can perhaps go “all electronic” and eliminate the post card and related expenses. We WILL NOT give your email address to anyone!
This year’s show happens to fall on the 4th because it is the closest Saturday to the Holiday. Next years show 2010 will be Saturday July 3rd, 2010. Always 9:30PM off Billy Goat Island.
Rain delay policy is we will delay the show up to1 hour before deciding if we have to go to Sunday night July 5th, 2009. The set up, storage, and crew issues make it very difficult to go to the following Saturday night.
Pyrotecnico, New Castle PA www.pyrotecnico.com is again our show producer. They are one of the largest producers or fireworks displays in the world. They are fully insured via a $10M general liability policy and have an excellent safety record.
Let me again emphasize the importance of boating safety during this event. Treat the lake as a NO WAKE ZONE the evening of the show. Slow down and enjoy the ride. I love ROCK AND ROLL, but not if its coming from the lake water! Also stay back from the shooting site at least 900 feet to avoid falling embers from the shells. Check your lights, life jackets, and fire extinguisher before idling to the show site.
Thanks again for your generous support for all these years!
Have a fantastic summer on the best and most beautiful lake in the South!