SHENANDOAH — There will be booms, bangs and bursts of light as part of this year’s 150th anniversary celebration in Shenandoah with the inclusion of fireworks sponsored by Ateeco Inc.
The announcement by the home-grown company that makes Mrs. T’s Pierogies was made during Tuesday’s meeting of Downtown Shenandoah Inc. Details about the program need to be worked out, particularly whether the fireworks will help kick off the anniversary week on Aug. 20, which will begin with a parade, or on Aug. 26 to end the celebration on the annual Heritage Day and Parade of Nations.
DSI Promotions Committee Chairperson Anne Taylor, who also heads the Shenandoah Sesquicentennial Committee, made the announcement.
“Our headliner news for our sesquicentennial is that in the past week we have received word that Ateeco, maker of Mrs. T’s Pierogies, is going to sponsor fireworks for the event,” Taylor said. “So, we will have fireworks. We were hoping that would happen. Ateeco is very wonderful to our community.”
Taylor said no decision has been made as to what day the fireworks program will be held.
“We will probably decide that at our next committee meeting,” Taylor said. “We have to get borough permission yet, but right now we are hoping to have them at the Babe Ruth (Bicentennial) Field like we had for the Octoberfest a few years ago. Things worked out very nicely down there. It’s also close to Ateeco’s facilities, so a little tribute to them.”
The fireworks program will be provided by Bixler Pyrotechnics of Ashland.
“We are still working on the particulars, but Bixler’s in Ashland has given us a wonderful quote and Mrs. T’s has agreed to pay for the fireworks,” Taylor said.
Ateeco President Thomas F. Twardzik said Wednesday that it is a wonderful opportunity to be part of the historical celebration in his hometown.
“Mary Luscavage of DSI contacted and said one of the things they were thinking about to add to the festivities of the whole event was to have fireworks,” Twardzik said. “Everybody that I can think of likes fireworks. It was always a big deal for the Italian feast to have fireworks. We thought about it and said we can do this.”
Twardzik is son of Theodore F. “Ted” Twardzik, who founded the company in 1952 using the pierogi recipe from his mother, Mary Twardzik — the real “Mrs. T.”
“It’s a milestone event for the town at 150 years. We’ve (Ateeco) been around 64 of those 150 years,” Twardzik said. “Our business was born and raised in this town just like I was born and raised in this town. My dad and mom were born and raised in this town. So, the family and business ties to this town and its history are something that we’re really proud of and we’re fortunate to be in a position to do it. There is never a guarantee for any business at any given point in time that you’ll be in a position to be able to do something like this. I’m grateful that we can do this for the town in celebrating 150 years.”
He said the selection of Bixler and the planning is in the hands of the sesquicentennial committee.
“Bixler has a good reputation,” Twardzik said. “I left it up to the organizers of the event. They’re the boots on the ground doing all the hard work, doing all the heavy lifting.”
Twardzik hopes that everyone, young and old, will enjoy the light show.
“I hope everybody comes out and you hear lots of ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ and big applause with the finale,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it. We’re excited, and we’re thrilled that the organizers are doing so much hard work in making this event something memorable for our 150th anniversary. I’m glad that somebody had the idea to bring fireworks and glad they called us to participate.”
He added, “There is something about the heavens with us. We have Skydiving Santa and fireworks. You look to the heavens and get inspired.”