Chris Glassford and the volunteers on the Chatham Canada Day committee appear to have hit the hilltop.
Essentially from the time Glassford learned the 2016 Canada Day celebrations had dissolved, he and his committee have pushed a boulder up a hill. They formed after the failure of previous organizers to keep the event going. Two years without fireworks, and no parade last year, or anything of note in Tecumseh Park – that was their starting point.
Getting that boulder rolling would require a great deal of elbow grease.
Glassford saw it begin to slowly move when he received such positive response as he formed the committee. It picked up speed slightly as it became obvious how committed the members were in making Chatham’s July 1 celebrations memorable again.
After all, this is the 150th birthday of our country we are talking about.
And when Greenfield Specialty Alcohols opted to sponsor this year’s fireworks, Glassford and his committee hit the pinnacle. While the descent will still have its bumps, having the power of Greenfield behind a key element of the celebrations has already proved a boon.
It’s helped pave the way for additional sponsorship and added stability to the effort. Glassford said until Greenfield came on board, there was always a chance their grip would slip on the boulder, and it would tumble back over them and down the hill in the wrong direction.
Greenfield is celebrating 20 years in Chatham-Kent this year; 20 years of being a part of the community. The company and its employees have long supported local charity efforts, and community events. From having teams in Relay for Life, to taking part in charity runs, to supporting the Round the River Recreational Trail ($250,000 pledged there), Greenfield is there to help.
Donating to cover the cost of the fireworks is another important initiative for Greenfield. Plant manager Angelo Ligori thinks of the families of all the local farmers who have done business with the facility over the past two decades, not to mention the families of his own employees, and he’s happy to see Greenfield involved in this year’s Canada Day celebrations. Ligori is also quick to point out while he is a believer in C-K, the green light on the sponsorship came from higher up the company food chain – the president.
Nicely done, everyone.
