To the Editor:
The article in the Great Falls Connection [“Going Dark?” January 22-28, 2014] hit home with me. I remember the 1984 Great Falls Volunteer Fire Department Fourth of July Fireworks on the field behind the Great Falls Post Office -- the last fireworks held in the Great Falls town centre. The neighboring Hickory Vale farm was being developed with new homes, and it was no longer safe to shoot off the fireworks display there. The skies remained dark on the Fourth of July in Great Falls until 1996, when I was a member of the “Save the Farm” organization at the Turner farm. I thought it would be nice to bring back the Great Falls Fourth of July Fireworks and light up the skies again. So for the next couple years, I personally paid for the fireworks. I asked many of my friends to help work the gates, be the security, prepare the parking, and bring the music and rides. We had a great time, and many Great Falls residents enjoyed those evenings.
I like fireworks, but even more I like small town America. Small town makes me feel good. I like knowing my neighbors and waving at people as I drive down the road. I love the feeling of our community. We have a very special place here. But, I am getting a little worried about our community. I don’t see the next generation of community volunteers stepping up to keep the “Great” in Great Falls. When I was in my 20s, 30s, 40s and even now as I am well into my 50s, I have given countless hours of volunteering to many different organizations to help keep our “community” feeling. Many others have done the same for years. But we long-time volunteers are aging, and I see many of our established Great Falls civic organizations struggling to find new volunteers. We need help, we need to begin passing the torch. The question is to whom? Who will be the next stewards of our community? Who will make sure that the special feeling that we know and love will be there for the next generation? Or will the flame of the torch go out?
There is a real question as to whether the Fourth of July fireworks will continue, given the lack of volunteers to carry the event forward, but to me the even bigger question is, who will watch over this community so we don’t turn into just another town? Who will run the community events? Great Falls has no paid employees; Great Falls is run by volunteers -- people who care! We receive no financial support from Fairfax County, we work on donations. We need your help.
How can you make a difference? Join a community organization and volunteer. All of the Great Falls’ organizations need help. You can try Celebrate Great Falls, Great Falls Citizens Association, Great Falls Optimists, Great Falls Rotary, Great Falls Historical Society, Great Falls Friends and Newcomers, Friends of Riverbend, Friends of Colvin Run Mill, Great Falls Garden Club, Friends of the Great Falls Library, the Annalemma Society and Great Falls Trail Blazers, to name just a few.
I’m getting tired now. Please don’t let the torch go out!
Mike Kearney
Great Falls