Idaho Falls celebrates independence

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PAGE 12
EDITOR: KAITLIN PRETTYMAN | SCROLLNEWS@BYUI.EDU
JULY 6, 2010
Idaho Falls celebrates independence
Melaleuca hosted ‘Melaleuca Freedom Celebration’ in Idaho Falls on July 3
MIKE MABE
Scroll Staff
For the past 19 years, Melaleuca
has put on the “Melaleuca Freedom
Celebration” in Idaho Falls on
Independence Day.
The celebration includes a parade, a
fair and a fireworks show and is paid for
entirely by Melaleuca.
The Freedom Celebration is the
second largest Fourth of July celebration
in America, ranking behind a
celebration in Philadelphia, Pa.
“It didn’t cost us anything,” said
Damond Wattins, vice president of
Corporate Relations at Melaleuca. “It
was simply a sacrifice of resource. . . .
We do it out of remembrance of our
servicemen who have died over
the years.”
For six years Melaleuca also put on
a Memorial Day celebration in St. Paul,
Minn.
Melaleuca would pay for and run the
celebration in coordination with the city.
The only thing the city of St. Paul would
pay for were portable restroom facilities
and traffic control.
“A new mayor was elected and shut
the celebration down … because of
expenses,” Wattins said.
With the freedom celebration, the
Chamber of Commerce in Idaho Falls
decided to put the Independence Day
celebration on the third of July.
Many in the city speculate the change
was made because the fourth of July was
on a Sunday this year.
The topic is debated on Idaho Fall’s
community newspaper’s website
www.postregister.com.
“I think we should have the fourth
on the fourth; it’s a national holiday. Just
because we live in a town overrun by
Mormons does not give them the right
to change our holiday,” said an Idaho
Falls resident on the website under the
alias of “not happy.”
However, there are other people who
don’t mind having the Independence
Day celebration on the third.
JOSHUA SMITH | Scroll Photography
The Melaleuca Freedom Celebration held in Idaho Falls is one of the biggest Fourth of July
celebrations in the nation. This year’s celebration was held on July 3.
“This country’s independence is
important to me, but it really isn’t
imperative to celebrate it on the fourth,”
said Jordan Beckstead, a freshman
studying accounting and a local Idaho
resident. Beckstead went to the Freedom
Celebration in Idaho Falls.
The Chamber of Commerce in
Idaho Falls has not made any official
statements regarding the change of the
celebration from the fourth to the third
of July.
Beck speaks at Driggs celebration
MADISON ROWELL
Scroll Staff
Independence Day celebrators
gathered at Huntsman Springs golf
course in Driggs, Idaho to hear Glenn
Beck speak.
The BYU-Idaho University Band
performed a variety of patriotic pieces to
celebrate Independence Day, including
many pieces by the well-known
composer John Philip Sousa.
After the University Band
performance, the audience got to listen
to Beck, who came to celebrate with his
friend Jon Huntsman, the organizer of
the festivities.
Beck spoke to the audience about
being an American. He spoke about the
important role that God has played in
the growth of our country. The founding
fathers were a very God-centered people
­— because of them the nation was able
to flourish.
Beck also spoke about the future
of our country. He explained that the
future of our country is in our children
and suggested that the next George
Washington is probably a little kid right
now. It is up to the current generation to
raise the next to be great leaders.
Beck also spoke about Huntsman
calling him a George Washington.
Huntsman is trying to help find a cure
for cancer through the Huntsman
Cancer Foundation.
The proceeds from the Huntsman
Springs golf course go to help to find a
cure for cancer. Huntsman said that he
knows they will someday find the cure.
The festivities ended with a fireworks
show dedicated to the troops that
are helping keep America free and to
Americans who are trying to do their
best in this nation.