COEUR d'ALENE - Those bright and beautiful explosions over Lake Coeur d'Alene in honor of America's independence aren't paid for by corporations or city entities.

They come from businesses, they come from individuals - and mostly, they come from you.

"The fireworks are purely donations," said Diane Higdem, events coordinator for the Coeur d'Alene Chamber of Commerce. "It's a public event, we're just the people who are managing it. We're trying to pull it together for the public. What we collect pays the bills."

Higdem explained that Coeur d'Alene's Fourth of July activities - the Hometown Heroes Parade along Sherman Avenue, the all-day festival in City Park and the fireworks in the evening - while organized by the Chamber, are all financed differently. Corporate sponsors, parade entries and vendor fees help with the parade and the fun in the park, she said, but the fireworks are entirely from the community.

And the fireworks campaign could use a boost; right now, the Chamber only has about $8,500 to put toward its fireworks fund.

"We are looking a little low," Higdem said. "The fireworks bill alone is about $22,000 ... if the numbers are down this year, it's going to be a smaller sparkle next year."

The day's festivities overall cost between $50,000 and $60,000 and attract approximately 30,000 people to the Lake City.

The Fourth of July in Coeur d'Alene is like a city-wide block party, Higdem said, with picnics, barbecues, sparklers and all of the enjoyment of a small-town holiday in a bygone era.

"That's something that's missing in a lot of ways from some of the bigger cities," she said. "It was the excitement that was generated in the park when there's so many people around, playing in the water ... and you're all down there anticipating those fireworks to start.

"Everybody loves fireworks. There's that enthusiasm on the Fourth."

Donations to help light up the sky on the Fourth can be made at the Boardwalk, Silver Beach and Blackwell Island marinas or at the Chamber.

"They can come in the day before, we're OK with that," Higdem said.

The Snake Pit Derby Dames will be also be rolling alongside the parade serving as the Bucket Brigade and collecting donations the day of the celebration. The 20-minute fireworks display will start around 10 p.m.

"The Fourth of July is an iconic Coeur d'Alene event," said Chamber president Steve Wilson. "It has always just been a community-sponsored event and a community event ... it's best, I think, when everyone contributes to keep it a community event."

Several sponsorship and donation opportunities are available.

Info: 292-1635 or email diane@cdachamber.com