Firework tents can be seen across Mercer County for those hoping in getting an early start on the Fourth of July. Tents can be seen on Oakvale Road in Princeton, Stadium Drive in Bluefield, Stafford Drive in Princeton, and many more locations. With fireworks also comes great responsibility.
More than 10,000 people across the country are injured each year due to fireworks, according to the National Safety Council. According to safety officials, there are procedures to follow when handling fireworks to avoid becoming another statistic. The West Virginia Injury Prevention Program suggests various ways of avoiding injury or possible death including: read directions carefully and follow them, have an adult present, never let children handle fireworks, ignite fireworks outside and on a flat surface, carry water in case of a fire, only light one firework at a time, never relight non-functioning fireworks, never carry fireworks in your pockets, never shoot off fireworks in metal or glass containers.
Jessica Basham, who runs the Fireworks Tent located Oakvale Road in Princeton, said the business is more than just selling fireworks for fun. Basham is also the executive director for the Schuylar Barns Foundation raising money in hopes of creating an affordable, and eventually, free retreat for women who’ve lost their children. The foundation was created after Basham lost her daughter, Schuylar Basham, to cancer two years ago.
“We started the foundation kind of to merge our passions .