|
 The Fireworks Foundation was conceived by Michael Swisher and John Steinberg during the late 1990's. As members of the PGI, Mike and John realized that the PGI's ample funds both exceeded the needs of the Guild. This afforded the unique opportunity to endow a Foundation, entirely separate from and independent of the PGI, whose primary purpose would be to ensure the viability of hobbyist fireworks activities in perpetuity. The Foundation actively seeks to support educational , training, regulatory, litigation, and related hobbyist pyrotechnic causes. Thus, the Fireworks Foundation, endowed with sufficient funding to ensure the viability of hobbyist pyrotechnics in perpetuity was established and its purposes and missions ensured.
Richard Sikes and Susan Langlotz, attorneys, working with John Steinberg, ensured both the creation of the legal entity known as the Fireworks Foundation and the granting of tax-exempt status by the IRS. In 2001, the Foundation was created and funded by a grant of $175,000.00 from the Pyrotechnics Guild International, Incorporated.
To ensure that the Foundation would operate in a most conservative manner, ALL decisions by the Foundation require the unanimous approval of all five Trustees.
The five Foundation Trustees are elected to five-year terms. No Trustee may serve more than 12.5 continuous years. The Trustees of the Foundation are/were:
1) Ed Vanasek: Appointed to a one and a half- year term in 2001 and by his own request, not reappointed in 2002.
2) John Steinberg (Secretary): Appointed to a two and a half-year term in 2001 and, as of January 1, 2004, elected by the Trustees to a five-year term.
3) Aaron Enzer (Trustee): Appointed to a three and a half-year term in 2001 and, as of January 1, 2005, elected by the Trustees to a five-year term.
4) Kurt Medlin (President): Appointed to a four and a half-year term in 2001.
5) Mike Swisher (Treasurer): Appointed to a five and a half-year term in 2001.
6) Gene Zdrazil (Trustee): Elected by the Trustees to a five-year term beginning January 1, 2003.
Neither compensation nor reimbursement of expenses is provided for the Trustees, all of whom serve as volunteers.
Our funds are held in trust, by the Treasurer, in the Trust department of a Mid-West bank.
Grant requests may be submitted to the Trustees, whose contact information is provided on this web site.
Since its inception, the Foundation has accepted donations and disbursed in grants in excess of $50,000.00 and has disbursed over $50,00.00 in grants and funding.
The Foundation is an entirely independent entity. At present, there is only one Trustee who remains an officer of the PGI. The Foundation exercises its responsibility, accepts and manages donated funds, and approves or rejects grant applications without consultation with or dependent upon advice from any other source, person or entity.
The Trustees are honored to be the stewards of such a valuable asset to our community. We invite all who can to make as large a donation as possible that we may be there to always and adequately assist those in need and to protect, defend and preserve all the remaining pyrotechnic freedoms currently extant; develop and institute new rights and freedoms where possible; and to, in all ways, ensure that hobbyist fireworks remains a safe and enjoyable, legal and thriving, craft/art/passion/hobby for all who wish to partake, for their children and for all future generations. We thank you for your support.
|
