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Gilmer fireworks stand proceeds help to fund youth summer camp

Youth members volunteer at this firework stand which raises somewhere between 10 and 12,000 dollars a year.

GILMER, Texas — Fourth of July fireworks sales are expected to increase by $100 million, according to The Hill's business report

A majority of the time, money that is collected from the stands is given back to the suppliers or companies. 

For over two decades, a Gilmer fireworks stand off Highway 271 is using its proceeds to help raise money for a local church's youth group.

"My youth pastor, who was the youth pastor here at this church 20 or 25 years ago, started the firework stand right here in this very location," said Lead Pastor of Redemption Worship Center Matt Pool. "It's continued since he started over 20 years ago."

Pool said since then the stand has grown in inventory, customers and sales. All those funds go toward supporting the church's youth missions. 

"We raise somewhere between 10 and 12,000 a year," Pool said. "That supports missions around the world, and it gives back to our community and then also gets our kids and our youth to summer camp."

It also allows church youth group members to work the fireworks stand, helping them to learn some essential life skills. 

"I hope they gain that they can actually achieve something," Pool said. "Sometimes, we write off the youth of our generation, but these guys put a lot of sweat equity into this; they're stocking the shelves, they're making sure the boxes are broken down and serving the community." 

It's also a form of ministry that gives the kids a platform to spread the gospel. 

"Earlier this week, we had a man that came through and he said, 'I want you to know that I came back to the Lord because I stopped at the firework stand two years ago,'" Pool said. "He said. 'I'm back in church today because of the impact that you guys made on me at the firework stand.'"

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