Della Aldridge used to spend two full days baking dawn to dusk for the Lapeer Apostolic Church's annual bake sale, but now she sits in the shade next to the cash register for the annual fireworks sale. Aldridge said the sale, which continues through July 5, has become a sure fire fund raiser for the church. (Photo by PHIL FOLEY)

For the past five years church members have been selling fireworks in the weeks leading up to the Fourth of July.

Last year's sale helped pay for the construction of a 30-by-40-foot garage on the church grounds. This year church members are working on outfitting the building with a classroom.

Pastor Anthony Kinsler said many of his sister churches do fireworks sales but a fellow pastor in Owosso "really inspired me."

Five years ago the church began selling fireworks in front of a Meijer store on Center Road in Flint and two years after that township officials gave them permission to hold their sale on the church's front lawn.

Kinsler said every year the Boston brothers, Jack and Carl, drive down to Ohio to pick out the church's inventory.

"They always do a good job. It must be in their blood," Kinsler said. "These guys are really into it."

According to the State Fire Marshall's Office, legal fireworks include: flat paper caps containing not more than .25 of a grain of explosive content per cap; sparklers containing less than .0125 pounds of burning portion per sparkler; flitter sparklers in paper tubes not exceeding one-eighth of an inch in diameter; cone and cylinder fountains that emit showers of sparks ; toy snakes that don't contain mercury and packed no more than 12 per box; and toy smoke devices.

Essentially, if it flies, explodes or spins -- it's illegal. That includes firecrackers, bottle rockets, cherry bombs, M-80s and Roman candles, just to name a few.

Kinsler said church members make sure everything they have for sale is legal.

According to the State Attorney General's Office, a Melvindale mother of three was killed last year after being struck by a commercial-grade firework. The attorney general added, there were 10,800 people injured by fireworks in the U.S. last year, with children under the age of 15 accounting for one-third of those injuries.

Sally Naracon, one of the volunteers selling fireworks at Lapeer Apostolic Church, said people frequently ask them where they "keep the good stuff," but she added, if it's not legal, they don't sell it.

That said Della Aldridge, another volunteer, shouldn't keep people from having a good time. She said the biggest seller, literally, at this year's sale is the Eternity. At 500-grams its the largest consumer firework that can be legally sold in Michigan.

Aldridge said the church got all their materials from TNT. "If there's one I like, I can push it," she said with a smile, and there's a lot she likes.

Naracon pointed out to Timothy Clouse and Heidi Stancliff, who drove in from Clifford, that the wooden handles on their sparklers mean no hot wires for little feet to step on. She noted their smoke bombs, "really last."

Lapeer Apostolic Church volunteer Della Aldridge said this year's biggest seller at the fireworks stand is the Eternity, the largest legal firework that can be sold in the state of Michigan. Sales from fireworks have been used by the church to build a garage on the site, and proceeds from this year's sales are earmarked for a classroom to be added to the building on M-24 in Mayfield Township.

Kinsler said an added benefit of holding the sale on church grounds is being able to introduce the 8-and-a-half-year-old congregation to more people. He said the church currently has about 160 members.

Before the fireworks sales, said Aldridge, she used to "work dawn to dusk" for two days baking things for the church's annual bake sale. The church still holds bake sales and other fund raising events through the year, the fireworks sale is growing part of the church's fund raising efforts.

"We're just in the early stages," he said. "We need more recognition and more repeat customers."

Church members will be found in the church's front yard from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day through July 5.

Phil Foley may be reached at (810) 664-0811, Ext. 8148 or pfoley@lapeergroup.com.