Sometimes you just have to step up when assistance is needed.
That’s what Mary Kuntz of Leland did last week. Kuntz learned that the annual fireworks display, part of the annual 4th of July activities, may go away this year.
Why? Because the Leland Chamber of Commerce’s biggest fundraiser, the annual Wine & Food Festival in June has been canceled. Historically, the event has been hosted in the parking lot of the Leland Harbor. However, the venue was changed in 2022 and 2023 to the Leland Lodge due to construction in Fishtown. The Lodge is no longer an option and the township’s Harbor Commission rejected the proposal as the site is “no longer a suitable site for the wine festival, ” citing restrictions in place by the Department and Environmental Quality and Waterways Commission.
Lacking the fundraiser, the chamber board is concentrating on the services provided to the business that are funded through membership dues, such as maintaining a website and social media that promotes Leland, along with the printing and distribution of over 30,000 brochures.
Kuntz, who as a child spent many Rockwellian July 4 holidays in Leland, sent letters to friends and family seeking donations. She also placed posters throughout the community seeking donations.
There’s a minimum fundraising goal of $12,000 and the deadline to commit to the fireworks company is mid-April.
We applaud Kuntz for her efforts and recognize the power of we vs. me.
Contributions can be made at http://www.lelandmi.org. Donations or checks can be made out to Leland Chamber of Commerce and sent to P.O. Box 741, Leland, MI 49654.
Meanwhile, the chamber has already begun work to bring the Food & Wine Festival back in 2025.
