Who doesn’t love fireworks? The Lincoln 4th of July Foundation once again dazzled thousands in Lincoln, California, with an afternoon of entertainment and the best fireworks show in the area.

Pulling off this event is no small feat. From January to August, we’re in constant motion—planning meetings, fundraising, creating promotional videos, coordinating with the city for safety, and much more. Our target? A whopping $70,000. Every June, we hit panic mode, fretting over whether we’ll raise enough to fund the event. My primary responsibilities include fundraising, promotion, managing the website, and coordinating with vendors.

Two weeks before the 4th, I obsessively checked the weather forecast. This year, it was a scorcher—113 degrees on the 4th of July. Insanity! Yet, our dedicated volunteers showed up, undeterred by the sweltering heat.

We began early, setting up the park, positioning garbage cans, and preparing the VIP area—countless tasks to tackle. By noon, I was knee-deep in vendor coordination. The crowd remained sparse until dusk, but as soon as the sun dipped below the horizon, people poured in. I was anxious about the extreme heat causing issues, but remarkably, we had no heat strokes among guests or volunteers. Even when the pyro team lagged due to the heat, our local fire department stepped in to lend a hand.

This year, I opted to forego snapping pictures of the fireworks. Instead, I chose to simply watch and savor the moment.

Having been with the Lincoln 4th of July Foundation for nine years now, I think I’ve got one more year in me. Here’s to making it another spectacular celebration!