Union Beach Wins Independence Day Celebration

Union Beach has won an "over-the-top" Fourth of July celebration on the beachfront, thanks to its ex-Fire Dept. Chief who nominated the Hurricane Sandy-devastated Bayshore town in a national contest sponsored by the TV network Destination America and USA WEEKEND. 

The 2 mile-square town was selected with Fayetteville, NC as being "most deserving" among 3,500 entries submitted in March. 

The judges were persuaded by Union Beach resident Robert LaBerta's 500-word essay. In it, LaBerta wrote,

"I'm a humble 37-year resident of a small NJ town. During Superstorm Sandy, 90% of our town was flooded and many homes destroyed. The residents of my small town came together to not only rebuild but save each other emotionally. I had the honor of being the Union Beach Fire Department Chief during Sandy. There were incredible acts of valor and courage not only by our emergency services but also by our residents. Many of those in neck-deep water saving whoever they could however they could. Our town will rebuild, displaced residents will come back, and we will prevail. Please consider having this great event in our small town of Union Beach. It would bring back a sense of normal life to our community and celebrate our determination and pride after Sandy. Thank you for your attention.

Union Beach Mayor Paul J. Smith Jr. said Thursday night that the town is looking forward to the annual celebration, which is always held on July 3 in order to save money on police overtime. He said he'll learn more about the details of the event on June 6, when the sponsors come to town. 

"I'm expecting a whole lot more people than last year because not a lot of towns will be having celebrations," he said. The sponsors have indicated they would help in absorbing the costs of public safety, he said. 

Smith said he anticipates pre-fireworks events, and enhancement of the the usual 20-minute long firecracker show. "I'm anticipating something much nicer," he said. 

The town of 6,800 residents lost 300 homes to the storm surge on Oct. 29, 2012, and 300 homes are still in the process of being rebuilt. "We're missing a lot of people," the mayor said. He hopes the Bayshore will come out and celebrate a patriotic Fourth with the survivors of Hurricane Sandy that call Union Beach home.

"We hope they will come out and enjoy themselves and watch as we rebuild, because we are only going to get better," Smith said. 

Marc Etkind, SVP of Content Strategy for Destination America, said in a statement, "Fireworks, fanfare and food are synonymous with the Fourth of July for many families, but lack of resources has forced many American towns to put their patriotic memory-making festivities on hold."

"In light of natural disasters and budget constraints, Destination America hopes to restore the spirit and tradition of Fourth of July in Union Beach and Fayetteville, two very worthy communities," said Etkind. 

"The nominations were so moving and heartfelt - USA WEEKEND is grateful to be part of this wonderful outpouring of patriotism and affection for American cities and towns," said Heather Frank, Editor-in-Chief of USA WEEKEND, in a statement. "We congratulate the people of Union Beach and Fayetteville and all the good neighbors across the country who share our mission to make a difference in the community." 

The contest also recognized two runners-up -- Enterprise AL and Lewistown, MT. Those towns will be awarded $1,000 each to be used toward one of the following local organizations: Parks and Recreation Department, YMCA/YWCA or Habitat for Humanity.