As the Fourth of July nears, the Sundown Salute Committee is focused on fundraising.

Nikki Londene, Sundown Salute Director, said that the committee hopes to approach the City Commission on May 16th for approval of an idea involving the sale of bricks in Heritage Park.

“If that goes well it will be a really huge thing for the park, it’ll add some ambience and be a really cool memorial type situation,” said Londene.

“We’re wanting to sell bricks and whoever would like to purchase them can do so for a fee, and then those bricks will hopefully be laid in [Heritage Park].”

There have been ideas previously to have the bricks laid in the park be yellow, paying homage to the “yellow brick road”. Those who purchase a brick can have their name, a loved ones name, a company or organization printed on it to be memorialized in the park.

Londene estimates that approximately $100,000 will need to be raised for Sundown Salute in order to pay off last year’s debt and this year’s expenses. Sponsors and donors are getting on board with the new committee.

“Dennis Beson (Chamber of Commerce CEO) has hopped on board to start helping us with some of our fundraising; with the new organization of the board we’ve had some people that have come and some people that have gone, some people that have had to cut back due to personal and professional conflicts, so we’re realizing that we needed a little more manpower, and Dennis volunteered to help us out.”

Navy Federal has agreed to once again be a sponsor the for the Fourth of July event as well as D.E. Lacer with DEL Motors in Junction City.

“We’re just continuing on touching base with everybody that supported in year’s past to try to get them back on board with us,” said Londene.

Committee members feared early on that many of the crowd favorites, including the fireworks show would have to be eliminated to cut costs. Londene noted that all of the Committee members are volunteers and not being paid as in past years so those administrative fees, as well as not hiring a booking agent have saved them thousands of dollars for the festival.

“The CVB gave $5000, the County gave us a donation as well; several of our council men have given us personal donations as well so that’s been really great,” said Londene. “We really haven’t taken anything away from the event itself, it’s all been administrative costs that we’ve eliminated.”

Quiet Riot will be the headline performer for Sundown Salute 2017.

The annual Veterans ceremony, and parade will still take place and the 1st Infantry Division rock band is expected to perform. There will also be several local performers to take the stage in Heritage Park.

Milford Lake will celebrate it’s 50th Anniversary this August.

Bill Whitworth, Corps of Engineers Project Manager spoke with JC Post about the history of the lake.

“Like many lakes, Milford was established as a flood risk mitigation; but through all the partnerships that we have along the lake – Kansas Wildlife and Parks, the Marinas and so forth – they provide value that’s far in excess of what the monetary savings from the flood damage that we’re preventing,” said Whitworth. “The 50th Anniversary is as much about the partnerships that enhance the quality of life for everybody in the region.”

There will be a formal dedication of the lake on August 12th near the site where it was first dedicated in 1967.

“The dedication itself with the plaque unveiling would be early in the morning on the 12th followed by the Float Your Boat competition,” said Whitworth. “The dedication will be on East Rolling Hills and then we’ll move below the dam for the other activities.”

There will bike races, food, educational exhibits and family fun planned throughout the day.

Whitworth noted that the dedication site will be very near the original site when the lake was first dedicated in 1967.