Lehigh, get ready for a big bang on the night of July 3. Rae Nicely, executive director of the Lehigh Community Services announced today that the agency, thanks to several benefactors in the community, will sponsor a Fourth of July fireworks extravaganza at Veterans Park.

There hasn’t been a Fourth of July fireworks celebration in Lehigh since the Rotary Club of Lehigh Acres paid for and put one on to celebrate America’s Independence Day five years ago.

That fireworks display was set off at Mirror Lakes in Lehigh.

The fireworks on July 3 will be set off at Veterans Park and will last anywhere between 15 and 20 minutes, Nicely said.

“I think it’s nice and I am so excited that we can do this for the community again. It’s the birthday of our country and this will really end a great afternoon of fun and entertainment at Veterans Park,” Nicely said.

The fireworks will be the finale of the Freedom Family Funfest that was started before Nicely became director of Lehigh Community Services.

“We will start at 4 p.m. with the Color Guard from Lehigh Senior High School and the raising of the flag and then we will have entertainment throughout the afternoon on the big outside stage. Danny Stephenson, Melody and Misty singing the National Anthem and Danny will be our emcee,” she said. Stephenson is the emcee each year at the Lehigh Spring Festival in March and residents have come to appreciate his warm nature when he emcees events at the park.

Nicely said Debbie Jackson has lined up several programs on the stage during the late afternoon. Jackson used to plan the entertainment for the Spring Festival for several years.

The afternoon of fun is free except for what you spend for the entertainment for the kids or the foods from the vendors. No coolers are allowed in the park. There will be a beer tent for adults, but Nicely cautioned that you have to stay in the tent when you are drinking beer as you cannot wander around the park.

“We’ve still got room for more vendors, crafts and food vendors,” Nicely said. “It would be an ideal thing for a local organization that wants to make some money to become a food vendor at the Family Funfest,” Nicely said. If your organization wants to have a tent and table at the festival, call Nicely at 369-5818. She said the organization keeps all the money they make for their organization or for themselves if they are selling crafts.

Although the Family Funfest is free, there is a donation of $3 per car to get into the park for the activities. Half of the proceeds go toward the Lehigh Acres Soccer League and half goes to Lehigh Community Services.

As for the cost of the fireworks, Nicely said today she has $4,000 in hand an another $1,000 pledged.

“We need just a little more,” she said, “to pay for the fireworks display. The company which our agency has dealt with for years along with the Spring Festival, sends professionals to Lehigh who deal with pyrotechnics, another word for fireworks. Setting off aerial displays requires the work of experts in that field. Nicely also said the Lehigh Acres Fire District waived fees for having personnel at the park in case of any emergencies.

Two of the main sponsors of the fireworks event are Lehigh Regional Medical Center and Dr. Allah El-Gendy, a sleep specialist with offices in Lehigh and his son, Ahmed. Nicely said El-Gendy gave $1,000 and the hospital gave $1,400. Others have also stepped up to the bat and have given. None of the money is coming from the coffers of Lehigh Acres Community Services, the agency that helps people with food and utility payments. In fact, any proceeds made from the July 3 event will go to that agency.

“We’re really going to have some good entertainment, almost nonstop from 4 p.m. on,” Nicely said. “The Zoomba group of women dancers from Lehigh, will be here and they are always popular. They are a group of exercise dancers.

As for the youngsters, there will be two “bounce houses” and two “slippery slides,” she said.

While there will be small bleacher seating, the public may bring beach chairs if they wish, she said.

Nicely said she couldn’t confirm it yet, but there may also be a big laser show. She also said that there will be a patriot reading of a poem or essay from a local school student winner of a contest underway.

“The best thing about our day of fun and night of fireworks is that Lehigh residents don’t have to leave town to see a great fireworks show. They are promising us one great show. People don’t have to beat the traffic to go elsewhere when we will have all of it right here in Lehigh,” Nicely said.

In the past few years there has been no fireworks and the crowds have been small, but Nicely says she hopes the fireworks will draw maybe 5,000 or more people.

“I’m just very excited about it,” she said. “And I think it will be good for Lehigh during these troubling economic times when people need to relax and enjoy themselves and what better way to come and join us on Saturday, July 3 at Veterans Park. And we appreciate those who are paying for the fireworks putting money back into the community. If anyone wants to help us financially, we would appreciate it. Just call us,” Nicely said.