Eastern Yacht Club to Organize Middle River Fireworks

After 16 years hosting the event, Eastern Yacht Club will be organizing the Middle River Fourth of July fireworks.

The July 6 event will be the first not run by the Marine Trades Association of Baltimore County.

At a neighborhood meeting Thursday, Kevin McDonough, secretary of the Rockaway Beach Improvement Association/Turkey Point Improvement Association said the MTABC informed the group last fall that the organization would be unable to continue organizing the fireworks.

After explaining the issue, first raised at their October meeting, McDonough said, "In short, Eastern Yacht Club is taking on the fireworks in Middle River," to residents' applause.

"It's great that the yacht club has such an interest with the community and continuting what has become a Baltimore County tradition," McDonough said about the event, which is entering its 17th year.

McDonough said the MTABC approached the yacht club about sponsoring the fireworks.

"After 17 years, the people at the marine trades association just didn't want to do it anymore," said Chip Miller, a member of the Eastern Yacht Club's holding company and the sergeant at arms for the improvement association.

The event will have a new organizing committee that includes members of the yacht club as well as the community association and volunteer fire companies.

The community group included $100 in its new budget toward the fireworks, which cost $15,000 to $20,000 to organize, McDonough said. But he added that the group typically raises $30,000, largely from commercial sponsorships. 

This year, most of the profits from the fireworks will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project, with the rest split among the community association, volunteer fire companies and the yacht club.

For information on donating or volunteering for the fireworks, contact the community association.