While the city hosts many annual celebrations and festivals throughout the year, there’s one particular event that many have found conspicuous in its absence: Fourth of July fireworks.

However, one group of dedicated men and women are looking to bring the boom and bang back to the city’s celebration of the country’s birth, but they are going to need the community’s help to do so.

A newly formed nonprofit, The Young Professionals of Greater Dowagiac, is seeking $5,000 in donations to pay for a fireworks show, which would take place on July 3 at Dowagiac Municipal Airport. The group has already reached out to a local resident who is willing to launch the fireworks, and is now asking local businesses to donate $100 to help fund the endeavor, said organizer Jeremy Truitt.

It is the first major project from the fledging service organization, which was formed near the beginning of the year by Whitney Behnke, an employee at Southwestern Michigan College and a recently appointed member of city’s planning commission. She decided to reach out to fellow young professionals to form the organization, which is comprised of men and women living or working in Dowagiac who are under the age of 40.

The group held its first get together in February. Members met with Mayor Don Lyons and City Manager Kevin Anderson to discuss ways of improving the city, Truitt said.

“We would like to have more fun events for people that are younger, and also to provide activities for families with young children,” Truitt said. “A lot of us live or work in Dowagiac, but on the weekends or in the evening, everybody leaves the city to go to Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Chicago or St. Joseph.”

Truitt, who works with the local Fifth Third Bank, has been one of the main organizers for the service organization. The 30 year-old is no stranger to volunteer work, as he is also a member of Dowagiac Optimist Club and Rotary, he said.

So far, the Young Professionals has around a dozen core members among its ranks, hailing from SMC, First Source Bank and other local businesses, Truitt said.

“We just kind of came together as local young professionals who are already networked,” he said. “After we got together, we found out that we can really make a difference in our community.”

The idea of resurrecting a local fireworks display was suggested to the others by member Brent Brewer, Truitt said.

“We all had similar stories of how we would get together to be with our families during the Fourth when we were younger,” Truitt said.

The organization will be hosting a meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday at SMC’s Foundation Room. Anyone interested in learning more about the project or who are interested in joining are encouraged to attend, Truitt said.

“Everybody and anybody is welcome,” he said. “We have a simple goal that covers a lot of things; we want to make Dowagiac better and improve the quality of life for its citizens.”