Sleepy Hollow residents pull together to save fireworks

Operation Save Sleepy Hollow Fireworks has achieved its goal to have fireworks light up the sky in the northern Kane County hamlet on July 5.

Residents banded together after the Sleepy Hollow Service Club last year told village board members it could no longer cover the costs of the fireworks display.

With the help of a series of fundraising events, residents raised $14,000 that the Service Club will use to put on this year’s fireworks display, which is expected to cost just over $20,000.

Saving the fireworks was a mission for many residents, who also spent much of the latter part of last year fighting the closure of Dundee Township Park District’s community pool in the village.

“We lost our pool, and I just couldn’t handle losing two big things that Sleepy Hollow is known for in one year,” said Sleepy Hollow Village Trustee Jenny McGuire, who led much of the fundraising efforts.

Fundraising efforts started with a downhill monster dash just before Halloween, the brainchild of 10-year-old Dylan Cobb. After attending a big wheel race in West Dundee, Cobb suggested the village should host one to benefit the fireworks, his mother, Jessica Cobb, said.

“He was sad to hear that (the fireworks) may be coming to an end,” Cobb recalled. “It felt really great to be able to contribute to the event.”

Cobb and her family have lived in Sleepy Hollow for 12 years and have always enjoyed the fireworks display from their backyard with family and friends.

“That was one of the draws to us moving here — to be able to sit in our community and watch fireworks is a pretty great feeling,” Cobb said.

This year’s fireworks were moved to July 5 to help reduce costs. The Sleepy Hollow Service Club also is using a different vendor than in years past.

And though fundraising efforts have put the club in a better position to host the fireworks, it will ask for a $20 donation per car to cover the remaining costs.

“We’re hoping that we do good enough this year to be able to continue it,” said Hans Meng, co-chair of the Sleepy Hollow Service Club. “Sleepy Hollow is a great community. When there are situations like this, we get a lot of people to come together to continue what we’ve done in the past.”