GAS — As Austin and Emily Sigg brainstormed about fundraisers for their newly formed Phoenix Foundation, one idea — fireworks sales — took shape rather quickly.
The Siggs formed the non-profit organization after Austin recovered from burns he suffered in a garage fire in 2022.
While Austin was hospitalized for several weeks at the University of Kansas Burn Center, friends organized a golf tournament to benefit the Sigg family.
Fast forward two years, with much of Austin’s recovery in the rear view mirror, he and Emily knew they wanted to take the benevolence, and pay it forward
“It wasn’t just the money, but the support and the prayers,” Emily said. “We knew we wanted to give back to the community.”
The foundation’s first-ever fundraiser, another golf tournament, was a success, generating $9,500, which in turn went to four area families facing unexpected hardships.
Two families had children suffering from cancer. Another had an ailing mother, and the fourth family had a child suffering from kidney disease.
“By the time we got to our fourth family, we had $1,000 left, so we knew we needed to do more,” Emily recalled.
They decided to try something other than golf for their next fundraiser.
The fireworks idea came after the Siggs realized that Lite ’Em Up Fireworks, a stand operated by Virginia Macha on the east edge of Iola, was done primarily as a fundraiser to benefit the Allen County Animal Rescue Foundation.
But Macha closed up shop after 2023, and didn’t reopen last summer.
“I reached out to her, to find out if she was going to continue,” Emily said.
Macha confirmed her fireworks selling days were behind her. Further, she offered the Siggs her assistance if they chose to pick up the baton.
And so Lite ’Em Up Fireworks was reborn.
“It all came together pretty quickly,” Emily said.
Macha sold the group her tables and cash register. More importantly, she put them in touch with her suppliers, and offered other nuggets of wisdom and tricks of the trade.
NEXT came finding a location.
