The big season is here. The Kingston Farmers Market is starting up. There will be an abundance of opportunities for everyone who lives in Kingston and thousands of visitors to come down to the Port of Kingston and enjoy themselves.

In just two months, the town will be packed with happy people celebrating the Fourth of July. Our Independence Day celebration is by far the biggest event of the year and highlights what a great port facility we have.

For the past 10 or so years, the party has been coordinated by the non-profit corporation known as the Kingston Fourth of July Celebration. This team manages the hiring of all the talent it takes to pull everything off and make sure that the insurance is paid and up to date.

The volunteers begin planning for the next year’s event in November each year. Providing a safe parade, Tiny Town, local talent competition, a two-day musical festival in Mike Wallace Park and what many consider to be the best small-town fireworks display on Puget Sound takes a lot of planning and hundreds of hours of volunteer “grunt” work.

This festival also requires a substantial amount of funding to pay for bands, barges, tug boats, security, sound management and, of course, the fireworks show.

The people of our town have always been very generous is supporting the Fourth of July Celebration and many other projects here. That is one of the things that make Kingston such a great place to live.

Prior to the recession of 2009, the committee usually ended each year with a comfortable cushion in the bank in case next year’s campaign fell short. Well, for the next four years, they did fall short. Now, with very little in reserves, the team is trying to put together another great party for our town and those who visit each year on the 4th.   They come because of what we have had here over the past decades.

Unfortunately, some of the larger businesses that use to support the 4th in a big way are not in business any more or are running leaner. The fact is, the entire celebration is in serious jeopardy if significant funding does not materialize within the next month.

The Fourth of July is the biggest party our town has each year and on behalf of the Kingston Fourth of July Celebration, I am asking everyone to see what they can do to make generous contributions to ensure that the tradition can continue. Scott Anderson of Windermere Real Estate is the chairman of the committee and he would be more than happy to talk to you about what is needed and how to help.

There are several ways to contribute. Of course, there are jars all over the place for your spare change. You can also put checks in those too.

Inside this newspaper, you will find a clip-out coupon that you can use to accompany your contribution and, of course, you can just mail a check to Kingston Fourth of July Celebration, P.O. Box 1274, Kingston, WA 98346.

The committee also has a website — kingston4thofjuly.com — where contributions can be made. The website contains other information such as schedules of events, parade applications and an archive of photographs from past events.

I am confident that our town’s citizens and business owners will rally to make sure that not only down at the port but all over town, the Kingston 4th of July Celebration will be another great event.  This year’s theme: Let Freedom Ring.

Thanks again for taking the time to read this. I hope that you turn to the next page a bit better informed and happy that you are part of a great community.

— Pete DeBoer is a Port of Kingston commissioner. Contact him pete@petedeboer.com.