One of the five banner designs placed along State Street by the city, the Bayside Fireworks banner informs visitors about fireworks shows in St. Ignace every Saturday from July 4 to Labor Day. Chris Shepler and the "Festivals and Fireworks" committee hope to also use word of mouth advertising to spread the word about the fireworks, which is why they are offering free informational training sessions for area businesses.

St. Ignace businesses and their employees are being offered short workshops in presenting to visitors consistent information about the city and its events by Chris Shepler and the St. Ignace Festivals and Fireworks Committee.

 

The training sessions will be available June 16, 18, and 23[Editor's Note: Since publication, the first session has been changed to June 17, instead of June 16.] between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and last about a half-hour each, said Mr. Shepler of Shepler's Mackinac Island Ferry. In each session, he will help prepare employees to answer visitors' questions about what there is to do in St. Ignace and where and when the fireworks and festivals take place.

Employees need to know exactly how to instruct visitors and work to keep them in town, and these sessions can help train them to do that, said Mr. Shepler.

"They are key to making this whole thing as successful as possible," he said of the employees.

The sessions are free of charge to area business owners, and anyone interested is invited to contact the St. Ignace Chamber of Commerce to schedule a session. Mr. Shepler also said city shops would be provided with either buttons or lanyards that prompt visitors to "Ask me about the fireworks."

"Once people get behind this thing, it becomes an even bigger snowball rolling down the hill," Mr. Shepler said of the "Fireworks and Festivals" program. "It's all about keeping people here in town."

Members of the St. Ignace community have already donated about $54,000 to the festivals and fireworks fund, which is about $4,000 short of funding the fireworks displays, and another $10,000 or more short of paying for marketing the new program.

Mr. Shepler expects to have no problem in collecting donations to fund the nine pyrotechnic displays currently scheduled, not including the city-funded Fourth of July fireworks show.

Additional funds to pay for "telling the world," as he put it, and to possibly add additional fireworks dates, would depend on more donations from area businesses and residents.

"I believe it's a good investment," Mr. Shepler said. "If we don't try to get progressive in our thinking, then we may become a forgotten community."

Shepler's Mackinac Island Ferry will provide its freight boat as a launching point for the shows, and Mr. Shepler said he hopes other business owners will see the value in investing in their community in this way.

"We will continue to work very hard raising these funds," he said. "I would put this project on the top of everybody's list to donate to."

The program has already found local sponsors, including the Visitors Bureau, the Chamber of Commerce, the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, and 33 businesses ranging from bars and restaurants to retail stores.

More information about the "Festivals and Fireworks" program can be found at the Web site www.festivalsandfireworks.com.