The Perry Chamber of Commerce is on a shortened fundraising timeline for the annual Fourth of July fireworks display, and to get things going they’re bringing back a revamped “Big Boom Bracket Battle.”
Chamber Director Lynsi Pasutti says the competition was originally going to happen in March, with public voting through donation jars set up around Perry to decide which of eight individuals would get the honor of a pie in the face in support of the fireworks drive. The event was set up as a three-week bracketed tournament inspired by the NCAA College Basketball Championships, with competitors advancing to the next round by earning more donations than their opponents. Pasutti says the rules are the same for the fundraiser, though now the donations can be made online instead of in jars.
She notes that the entrants are the same as before, which were voted on social media by the community in early March. The competitors include notable Perry residents Eddie Diaz, J.P. Hulgan, Emily Leslie, Mark Powell, Cheri Scheib, Eric Vaughn, and Misty VonBehren, each of whom Pasutti says is ready and willing accept their fate as the “winner.” “Just looking at that list, we’ve got some really strong community members that are big supporters of the fireworks and having them each year and having that tradition carry forward. So any one of those would be good to see get a pie in the face and would be good sports to receive that as well.”
The first round is currently running, with voting wrapping up this Thursday. The second round will go from June 19-25, with the final voting taking place June 26-July 3. Pasutti advises voters that the dollar amounts for the competitors will reset each round, creating a new battle each week, though the proceeds will accumulate throughout the competition. The pie-throwing event with the winner will be broadcast live on social media once the tournament concludes. For more information on the Big Boom Bracket Battle, click the first link below to listen to the recent Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program with Pasutti. Click the second link to visit the Facebook event page to learn more about the process. The third link will take you directly to the voting website.
https://www.raccoonvalleyradio.com/2020/06/12/lets-talk-dallas-county-6-12-2020-lynsi-pasutti/
https://www.facebook.com/events/288395702289843/
https://perry-chamber.square.site/product/fireworks-donation/