The Lathrop-Manteca Fire District conducted a lottery Feb. 21 to determine which eligible non-profit organizations would have the opportunity to sell Safe and Sane Fireworks in the City of Lathrop in the week prior to the Fourth of July.
Only non-profit organizations are eligible to obtain a permit to sell Safe and Sane Fireworks.
The City of Lathrop Municipal Code allows for one permit for every 6,000-resident population or fraction thereof. According to the California Department of Finance population estimates for 2024, the City of Lathrop is currently at 37,033. Based on Lathrop’s population growth, there will be an additional permit awarded in 2025, for a total of seven permits.
With the number of applicants exceeding the number of allowable permits, the Fire District uses a lottery system to determine which organizations will be permitted to operate a sales stand.
This year, the Fire District received 12 applications that met eligibility requirements for inclusion in the lottery. Numbers were selected from a rotating tumbler to identify the lucky organizations. Deputy Fire Marshal Josh Elliott conducted the lottery to select seven awardees and two alternate non-profit organizations for 2025.
The alternate selections are identified in the event any of the first seven organizations withdraw or fail to meet the permitting requirements. The non-profit organizations selected to continue in the permitting process are displayed in the order by which they were drawn:
• Lathrop Sunrise Rotary
• Lathrop Little League
• Grace Community Church
• Lathrop Spartans Alumni Association
• Animal Rescue of Lathrop
• Love Reaches Out Food Bank (withdrew after award)
• Prayer Valley Family Worship Church
• Lathrop Junior Spartans – 1st Alternate (will replace Love Reaches Out Food Bank)
• New Life Church – 2nd Alternate
“We are pleased to work with local non-profit organizations in ensuring the efficient and safe operation of Safe and Sane Fireworks sales stands in the City of Lathrop,” noted Deputy Fire Marshal Josh Elliot
