Two towns win free fireworks displays

Two resilient towns that have not been able to enjoy big Fourth of July parties will be able to this year after winning the third annual RED, WHITE AND YOU contest.

Sponsored by USA TODAY and Destination America, a TV network dedicated to all-American entertainment, two towns will get all-expenses-paid fireworks displays this Independence Day.

And the winners are … Waveland, Miss. and Oroville, Calif.

More than 2,600 entries were submitted on behalf of towns nationwide.

"It was an incredibly tough choice," says Marc Etkind, general manager of Destination America. "We heard so many good stories and so many towns that deserved to be honored."

Waveland is a Gulf Coast community that was hit hard by Hurricane Katrina 10 years ago. The town has not had a Fourth of July fireworks display since.

The winning nomination came from Donna Estopinal, a long-time resident.

"Many people were forced to move away leaving their dreams behind to start over somewhere else," she wrote. "Those who stayed were determined to rebuild not just their homes but our beautiful city as well. Waveland is coming back stronger and better than before."

The town's pier will re-open this summer.

"It's a celebration of the town's perseverance, optimism and determination," Etkind says.

Oroville has not had a large fireworks display in recent years because of the state's drought and resulting budget restraints.

Nicknamed the City of Gold because of its participation in the gold rush, Oroville is also home to one of the nation's largest dams.

The nomination came from Deliah Robison, who asked that the many veterans who live there be recognized.

"It means a lot to those families and their community to celebrate and remember what their service was for," she wrote. "In the past, our town hosted a large fireworks show from the dam, but the costs have become too high in many previous years."

Etkind says that the fireworks display will return to the 770-foot Oroville Dam.

"We thought it would be a great reminder of California and water and the triumphs and challenges they've had," he says.

Last year's winners were Prescott, Ariz., a town that was still recovering from devastating wildfires that killed 19 firefighters, and Hamtramck, Mich., a city hit by hard financial times.