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ELLENVILLE – Nothing makes local residents feel more "down home" and patriotic than seeing our village streets decorated in red, white and blue bunting. Nothing can compare to seeing our kids' faces — smeared with ketchup from eating summer hot dogs — burst into a grin as floats make their way down Canal Street. And there is nothing I'd rather do than cap the Fourth of July festivities off snuggling next to my family as we watch the sky explode with color at the Joseph Y. Resnick airport come Independence Day.

But somebody — actually, Ellenville/Wawarsing Fourth of July Committee chairman John Gavaris — has noted that after this year there just might not be another Ellenville parade. There might not be the fireworks we've grown to look forward to every year.

"We've struggled over the past year," Gavaris said. Not financially, he added; the committee has raised enough money through their annual spaghetti dinner, breakfast for dinner and various raffles to come up with the $13,000 they need to match their part of the events' $23,000 cost, which gets matched by $3,000 from the Village of Ellenville and $7,000 from the Town of Wawarsing.

No, he added, it's a question of finding the volunteers needed to help plan the events, to help during the dinners and other fundraisers, to sell raffles and to make phone calls. Last year, there were thirteen committee members. Now the festivities are being put together by a mere handful. And those hands — namely Willie Stedner of Stedner Printing, James Dolaway of James' General Store in Napanoch, town councilman Stephen Bradley and himself — are getting pretty tired.

As chairman of the committee, Gavaris said, he's tried to reach out to community members through social media to call in reinforcements. In the past, the committee has gone to the Ellenville High School to drum up volunteers. But everyone's found that people will come for a few meetings and then not show.

The idea of joining forces with other community civic organizations such as the Noonday Club or the Napanoch Public Interest Group has been brought up, Gavaris added, but it seems the same people volunteer at all the same groups.

"They're all in desperate need for volunteers," he noted about everyone being busy with jobs, families, and other responsibilities. "We're doing what we can. We need steady volunteers."

The Fourth of July Committee would like to see ten or fifteen new members. At the height of the committee, Stedner said, there were about thirteen full time members. There are no requirements, other than participation. The monthly meetings are held the second Wednesday of each month at the Ellenville Rescue building on Webster Street, starting at 7 p.m. Meetings run for about a half hour or so.

"I don't think we will see another one; we don't have the resources to pull it off again," Gavaris said. "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."

Those feeling ready to help out should send a message to the Ellenville/Wawasing Fourth of July Facebook page, or just stop by one of the four's usual places of business.

A major parade, and fireworks — a whole community's sense of spirit, and true patriotism — may depend on it.



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