Mayor Dean Uecker recently met with last year’s major contributors to the City of Ripon’s fireworks show.

The consensus was nearly unanimous.

“Five of the six donors didn’t have a problem with the move to Mistlin Sports Park,” he said at last week’s Ripon City Council meeting. “They still promised (to donate) $7,500 for the next show.”

Couple that with the Tony Mistlin pledge. Not too long ago, the local businessman and philanthropist offered to match donations for the Fourth of July event, up to $10,000.

Bethany Homes was the major contributor at last year’s event held at Ripon High’s Stouffer Field. The community came up with $15,000 to go along with the $14,661 tally from the Fireworks Committee.

Donations have been down every year since 2011. That’s when the pyrotechnic display moved from Mistlin to Stouffer Field.

But changes in public regulations – specifically, the fallout zone – were the driving force behind the move back to Mistlin and not the recent renovation efforts at the stadium by the Ripon Community Athletic Foundation.

“Many citizens are not happy with the move,” Uecker said. “But it is was it is.”

At last report, the committee had over $4,000 in funding for the 2014 fireworks event.