Perry Chamber Launches the 2026 July 4th Fireworks Drive
Big Boom Bracket Battle Sweet-as-Pie 16 Announced
Perry, March 10, 2026 – The Perry Chamber of Commerce received more than 50 nominations from the community for the Big Boom Bracket Battle, a bracket-style contest matching up community members for the sake of fundraising for Perry’s 4th of July fireworks show. Of those nominated, 35 said ‘yes’ to the challenge, willing to get a pie in the face if they win. The Elimination Round took place on Facebook this past week, receiving a total of 5,831 votes between all contestants. The top sixteen contenders now move on to the Sweet-as-Pie 16 bracket for this March Madness themed fundraiser for Perry’s 4th of July fireworks drive.
“We are so pleased with the continued enthusiasm from the community,” says Lynsi Pasutti, Executive Director of the Perry Chamber of Commerce, “and it is so fun to see some new faces not only in the Elimination Round, but especially in the actual bracket! Eight out of the sixteen have made it into the bracket before, and only two others have been a part of previous elimination rounds. The rest are completely new, so it just goes to show how the community has embraced the initiative with an even wider audience!”
Now with the Elimination Round complete, the fundraising portion of the initiative will take place with four weeks of ‘head-to-head’ contests. Placement within the Sweet-as-Pie 16 bracket has been determined from the rankings of the Elimination Round (1 vs. 16, 2 vs. 15, and so on).
2026 Big Boom Bracket Battle Sweet-as-Pie 16 match-ups:
- Katie Fitzsimmons, Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home & Crematory vs. (16) Misty Conrad, Perry Waterworks
- Kristy Hupp, Perry Paw Spa vs. (15) Chief Jim Archer, Perry Police Department
- JP Hulgan, Hulgan Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric vs. (14) Pastor Andrea Brownlee, First Christian Church
- Jeff Huitt, Tri-County Ag & Perry Economic Development vs. (13) Assistant Chief Andy Modlin, Perry Fire Department & Modlin Construction
- Heather Ketelsen, Perry High School vs. (12) Officer Cameron Martinez, Perry Police Department
- Brent Rowe, Perry DMACC VanKirk Career Academy vs. (11) Michael Peterson, City of Perry Parks & Recreation Department
- Jenny Adair, Perry Elementary School vs. (10) Mike Hupp, Hupp Construction
- Jennifer Rothfus, Perry Lutheran Homes vs. (9) Clint Lutterman, 21st Century Rehab
“We have a really nice variety of participants this year,” adds Pasutti. “We have business folks from across a variety of industries and also several from the Perry Community School District, City of Perry, Police and Fire Departments. It will be interesting to see who makes it to the next round, because it is anyone’s game at this point now that votes are based off of donations!”
The goal of the Big Boom Bracket Battle is to kick off the annual fundraising efforts for Perry’s 4th of July fireworks show, all while getting the community involved for a fun activity during the month of March. Last year’s initiative raised more than $5,000 and the concept of ‘every little bit counts’ will help chip away at the total fundraising goal of $18,000.
Donations for this round of the contest will be accepted now through Tuesday, March 17th at 12pm and the Explosive 8 will begin that same day. Each of the rounds will follow the same pattern until the contest is complete. The Firecracker 4 will be announced Tuesday, March 24th and the Grand Finale Duo will be announced on Tuesday, March 31st for the final showdown.
This year’s fireworks drive will run through the Perry Chamber Foundation on the same platform as last year: www.GiveButter.com/Perry-Chamber-Foundation with real-time tracking of each round (www.GiveButter.com/2026BBBB16). In-person donations will be collected at the Perry Public Library (1101 Willis Avenue) and donations may also be delivered to the Perry Chamber of Commerce at 1124 Willis Avenue or mailed to PO Box 472, Perry, IA 50220.
The Chamber wishes to thank all those that participated in the Elimination Round, including those that submitted nominations, those that accepted nominations with the chance of getting a pie in the face, and those that voted.
For more information and to follow along with the progress of the Big Boom Bracket Battle, visit www.PerryIAChamber.org/Foundation or the Perry Chamber’s Facebook page. Questions can be directed to the Perry Chamber at info@PerryIAChamber.org or (515) 465-4601.
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About the Perry Chamber of Commerce
The Perry Chamber of Commerce serves as the central business organization in Perry, with the mission of being an advocate to its membership by promoting and encouraging growth in the community, business, and tourism. As a non-profit organization, the Perry Chamber hosts a number of community events including the 4th of July Celebration and leading the fundraising efforts for the annual fireworks display.
About the Perry Chamber of Commerce Foundation
The Perry Chamber of Commerce Foundation is a charitable organization with the mission of facilitating growth within the Perry, IA Community, by supporting efforts of the Perry Chamber of Commerce, including the 4th of July fireworks drive, New Teacher Housing Assistance program, and the Business Modernization & Protection grant program.
