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Dear :
Please take a few minutes to read this update on the recent and upcoming efforts of the APA's Safety & Education Foundation, activities and resources made possible through the generous donations of our supporters. Click here to add your support.
Consumer Fireworks Safety Video Series
The Foundation Board’s top priority for 2023 is the production of a consumer fireworks safety video series. Foundation members gathered at the Fireworks Over America facility in Odessa, Missouri on April 17-18 to begin filming. Prior to the start of production, a task group of Board members worked with Executive Director Julie Heckman and APA public relations consultant James Fuller, Arena Communications to prepare & fine tune the script for the video shoot.
Filming was conducted by Jesse Veverka and Hannah Basciano of Veverka Brothers Productions, who also captured generic footage the weekend before during one of Winco Fireworks Blast Off demos.
 Former Beverly Hills, CA Fire Battalion Chief Dean Guccione was tapped as featured spokesperson to convey the important safety messages. A contingent of APSEF Board members and supporters were on hand to assist with production including Vice President Katherine Guccione, Pyro Novelties, Treasurer, AJ Burns, North Central Industries, Brandon Corn, Fireworks Over America and Matt Rhinehart, Spirit of ’76 Fireworks.
 The Foundation plans to have post-production edits completed on the safety video series in time for this year’s Independence Day season. The videos will be made available at NO COST via the Foundation website www.celebratesafely.org and distributed via social media. We are most grateful to all those who assisted with production and look forward to announcing the final product in the near future. Initiatives such as these are just one example of how donations to the Foundation benefit the entire fireworks industry and, more importantly, help educate youth and the general public about fireworks and their safe use.
Coloring Book Proceeds
We are excited to report that the Foundation’s Coloring and Activity books have been a HUGE hit. The books feature Professor Sparkz and include sixteen pages of fun-filled activities to help kids (and the adults in their lives) learn more about the safe and proper use of fireworks. 2022 was the inaugural year for the books that were designed, produced, and distributed by Katherine Guccione and Pyro Novelties. The books were well received with over 100,000 books pre-ordered for the 2023 season – and royalties from these pre-orders alone have contributed $20,000 to the Foundation!
If you wish to purchase just one case, please call (800) 552-3499 and they will process your order manually. If you wish to purchase just a few copies for yourself, your children and/or grandchildren, individual copies may be ordered at this link.
In addition to Pyro Novelties, we wish to extend heartfelt appreciation to the following companies for their pre-orders, your support not only helps finance future Foundation activities, but helps spread APSEF’s important fireworks safety message – THANK YOU!
Fireworks Over America Phantom Fireworks
Boomland Fireworks Winco Fireworks
American Fireworks Atlas Fireworks
Hamburg Fireworks North Central Industries
Tri-State Fireworks TNT Fireworks
Rozzi Fireworks
Happy Campers
The Foundation Board has agreed to support distribution of the coloring activity books beyond retail outlets. We are thrilled that these books will be made available to summer camps. Please contact us if you know of a worthwhile children’s organization or camp that might benefit from these complimentary books. This is just another way that the APA’s Foundation is pro-actively spreading its message of fireworks safety.
Rounding Up for Safety
During this year’s APA Winter Education Conference, AJ Burns, North Central Industries and Brandon Corn, Fireworks Over America, led a session that highlighted their company’s efforts to launch Round Up campaigns to benefit the Foundation. Round Up fundraising allows customers to round their total up to the nearest dollar and then donates that money to a worthy cause – in this case APA’s Safety & Education Foundation. They explained the challenges and successes their companies experienced in initiating point of sales donations and outlined their work to find solutions that would work universally for all retailers. If your company is interested in supporting the Foundation by implementing a Round Up campaign, please contact President Herb Chan at [email protected] for more details.
In the Bag for Safety
 Please remember that retail plastic shopping bags with the Foundation’s logo & safety tips are available through Pyro Novelties. The company has generously offered to make a $1 donation to the Foundation for every case of bags sold and we are most grateful for this support. More important than the financial donation for these bags, through their distribution each year we are getting over 250,000 of these out in the hands of fireworks consumers with a constant reminder for safety.
Individual cases can be purchased for $54.99 each via their retail online store at this link.
Wholesale cases can be purchased for $34.99 each either via their wholesale online store or by phone at 800-552-3499 (minimum $500 order required to purchase at wholesale prices but you can mix and match with other products including the coloring books on the site to reach the minimum).
Don't ForgetThese Safety Resources
As you prepare for July 4th, remember the following Foundation resources which can either be printed for distribution or included in your in-store video feeds – all at no charge! And of course, be on the lookout for our soon to be released New Consumer Fireworks Safety video series.
Professor Sparkz Sparkler Safety Video
Learn Fireworks Safety From Prof. Sparkz
Sparkler Safety Fact Sheet
Fireworks Safety Tips Flyer
Additional videos and other materials can be found under the "Materials" tab of the Foundation website www.celebratesafely.org
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