Eric Rayner —Face of the Fireworks—to be Inducted into Festival Hall of Fame

He will forever be known as the man on a mission to save the Festival fireworks.

Eric Rayner, 26, of Ellport wasn’t going to let the 2019 Festival go on without the beloved fireworks. He refused to settle for it. So Rayner rallied the community with a goal of raising $5,000 to save the display. Not only did he meet the goal … he more than doubled it, raising $11,230.

His charismatic approach to inspiring others was not lost in the dollars and cents and money matters of the fundraiser. His step-up-and-do-something attitude earned Rayner an induction into the Ellwood City Arts, Crafts, Food, and Entertainment Festival Hall of Fame, an honor that according to Rayner came as a complete surprise. He was nominated by Blanche Novak.

Festival Chairwoman Raylene Boots said the honor for Eric is well-deserved. She said inductees are recognized based on an individual or group making a significant contribution to the Festival. She said although Eric’s contribution was recent, it is without a doubt significant.

“When it was announced that the fireworks would not be taking place this year, Eric contacted me immediately,” Boots said. “His response was ‘No, No, No, No, No.’ ”

Boots said she knew Rayner long before his fireworks saving quest as she was his teacher at Riverside. She said her heart is “gladdened” by the support Eric received for his fundraiser and was impressed with his drive.

“He approached us with a laid out plan that was well thought out,” she said.

Boots admits that she was confident that Rayner could raise the $5,000, but initially didn’t expect him to more than double his goal. She said her expectations changed about two weeks into the fundraiser once she realized the amount of support that Rayner was gaining.

Eric Rayner is pictured here with Mayor Anthony Court accepting a donation on behalf of the Ellwood City Teacher’s Union.

Eric is grateful and honored for his induction, and said he didn’t see it coming.

“Given that this is only the 2nd year of the hall of fame, I didn’t expect to be nominated, let alone get in based off what we did with the fireworks this year,” Rayner said. “To be honest I didn’t even know there was a hall of fame until after I started raising the money for the fireworks.”

For Rayner getting involved was a no brainer. He insisted from the beginning that his mission wasn’t about him at all, and he proved that by volunteering countless hours to a community cause.

“To me, the induction isn’t about me,” Rayner said. “It’s more or less a way to show how much this meant. What we were able to accomplish was a big deal, and by raising over double … it just shows how much this meant to everyone involved.”

Eric Rayner is shown here with his son. His son was a major motivation in stepping up to do something for his community.

Growing up, Rayner attended the Festival on a yearly basis and enjoyed spending time with his “pap,” eating food and walking around while his mom and grandma checked out the craft booths. But as a young boy, he didn’t quite grasp what the festival symbolized at such a ripe age. Now that he is “older,” Rayner says he realizes the Festival is a symbol of something bigger, something more than just food, crafts, entertainment and fireworks.

“To me the Festival is a true representation of what a small town should be,” Rayner said. “It represents tradition, community, family, and friends. It raises money for community groups and non-profits. That’s what a small town is all about, and the Testival encompasses that to a T.”

Rayner’s work will not end here. He plans to continue his work with the Festival.

“I have joined the Festival committee as the parking chair to try to work on mending the issues that caused the loss of the fireworks to begin with,” Rayner said. “I hope to use the platform I built, and the good relationships I’ve made with all party’s involved to help everyone reach a common ground.”

This induction will inspire Rayner as he moves forward in his Festival role. And he hopes it inspires others in his generation as well as his son to step up and take action. He is excited and is thankful for the support of the community, the many business and groups, every single person that donated or bought shirts, the mayor and council members, the Festival committee, and everyone involved.

“They made this happen,” Rayner said. “I just paid the groundwork.”

Rayner is also thankful to his family and friends.

“My family and friends are all really excited about what I was able to do with the fireworks,” Rayner said. “I think they’re excited as well for the HOF induction. This is the first year they are having an actual ceremony. My dad and (soon to be) step-mom will be driving out from across the state to come see the fireworks and possibly the induction ceremony. A lot of my friends and family are planning to attend. Even my girlfriend’s family and some of their friends will be coming out for the fireworks.”

Before starting his role as the parking chair of the Festival committee, Rayner plans to enjoy some deep fried Oreos as well as catching up with long lost friends during the Festival. He will also enjoy the fireworks display … a display made possible by his motivation.

The Festival’s Hall of Fame Induction will take place at 1 p.m. on June 29.