By Wendy Nugent, Harvey County Now
NEWTON—The Bethel College men’s basketball team has fired up fans to explode with excitement and this summer they are facilitating other types of explosions with fans and Newton area residents.
This is because they sell fireworks at two locations in Newton, in the North Dillons car park and south of Pizza Hut.
“That’s how we allow ourselves a lot of things in our program,” Bethel College men’s basketball coach Jayson Artaz said, taking a break Sunday night after setting off fireworks in the North Dillons tent location.
This is the fourth year that they have sold fireworks.
Artaz said the team has players from England, Niger, Africa, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Iowa. Eight to 10 team players work in the stands.
Artaz wasn’t sure how sales would go this year with the extended sales time Newton allowed.
“Usually it was like four days, and a fast and furious thing,” Artaz said, adding that he wasn’t sure what impact that would have on sales over eight days.
Stalls sell everything from items that small children enjoy, like sparklers, to large items, like those lit in fireworks.
“Snappers are always a big hit with little kids,” Artaz says.
Hours of operation will be 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., daily through July 4, when locations will be open until midnight. They will basically accept any type of payment, Artaz said.
There’s a reason people should buy fireworks at the Bethel College basketball stands.
“It’s nice that a lot of the profits go to something local,” he said, adding that in many other places the money goes to a big company or someone from there. out of town. “The guys like to talk to the little kids who come. Last year the kids came and asked to take pictures with the players and autographs.
Fireworks prices start at 25 cents and go up to $270.
“It’s basically a huge kit that will take your whole night,” Artaz said of the $270 item.
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