Group is also looking for sponsors for financial support
Published in the April 2-15, 2014 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Staff Report
Fourth of July Morgan Hill style in 2013
The Fourth of July might still be three months away but the team at Independence Day Celebrations is looking for dedicated people to get involved in helping put on Morgan Hill’s annual Freedom Fest events. The nonprofit organization, which is entirely run by volunteers, is also looking for local and county sponsors to help financial support the cost of putting on Morgan Hill’s annual birthday bash for America.
“We need volunteers because our Freedom Fest is growing,” said Frances Nance, marketing and publicity person for IDC. “What we’re trying to do is put together a top-notch program for our community. The celebration of America’s freedoms originated back in the 1800s with a horse race and a community picnic here in Morgan Hill, and we want to keep up the tradition.”
IDC has a series of community events it puts on for Freedom Fest. The first is a Bike Classic tour of the South Valley region which will be held Saturday June 28. IDC also puts on a July 3 Music Fest in downtown Morgan Hill, as well as a children’s sing-a-long program at Britton Middle School’s gymnasium. On July 4, the Freedom Fest events continue with a 5K race, a classic car show, the official Independence Day parade for Santa Clara County, and a family fun freedom celebration at Morgan Hill’s Outdoor Sports Center that ends with a bang as fireworks light up the night sky.
“Morgan Hill’s Freedom Fest is dedicated to the principles of liberty and freedom, American principles that this country was founded on,” Nance said. “So many people have come to our country and that’s why it’s such a great melting pot where people can find greater opportunities. Be it educational opportunities or freedom from religious persecution or political asylum, there are many reasons why people have come here. So Freedom Fest is about upholding all of those principles.”
Besides the need for volunteers, Freedom Fest also provides opportunities for individuals and businesses to support the events by contributing financial donations at various levels, said Jeff Dixon, president of IDC. As it has for the last several years, CommonWealth Central Credit Union will be the premier sponsor for this year’s Freedom Fest. Various sponsorship levels are found on IDC’s website at www.mhfreedomfest.com, Dixon said. Volunteer opportunities for Freedom Fest can be found by visiting the GoVoluntr website with the link found on the Freedom Fest website.
“We receive tremendous support from the community, both the business and the residences. We wouldn’t be in business if they didn’t,” Dixon said. “That being said, we’re always trying to put on a bigger and better Freedom Fest show every year. One of the things that involves is paying for more bands or paying for more fireworks.”
This year’s Freedom Fest theme is “Destination America,” Dixon said. Among new elements to the celebrations is a more “home-town feel” at the Outdoor Sports Center including a pie-eating contest and three-legged races.
Among volunteer opportunities are people dedicated to coordinating the logistics for the Freedom Fest Bike Classic event as well as a marketing coordinator for the fireworks show.
“We need someone for the family music fest who will be in charge of all the food vendors,” Nance said. “They need to organize all the permits for the food vendors, coordinate that, coordinate their location and make sure it all comes together.”
Many of the volunteers at IDC have been involved for more than 15 years, but the group always needs new people to help out to make Independence Day special for everyone, Dixon said.
“It’s more than just events. It’s a tremendous celebration of America,” he said. “We want people to step up and help us make that happen.”
