Photo Courtesy of Perry Chamber of Commerce
The top 16 individuals are set for the Perry Chamber of Commerce’s Big Boom Bracket Battle, as the fundraising begins for the 2026 fireworks drive.
Perry Chamber Executive Director Lynsi Pasutti says over 50 nominations were received from local residents for the bracket-style contest, which matches up community members for the sake of fundraising for Perry’s Fourth of July fireworks show. Of those, 35 said yes to the challenge, willing to get a pie in the face if they win.
The Elimination Round took place on Facebook this past week, receiving a total of 5,831 votes between all contestants. Pasutti adds that the top 16 contenders now move on to the Sweet-as-Pie 16 bracket.
“We are so pleased with the continued enthusiasm from the community and it is so fun to see some new faces not only in the Elimination Round, but especially in the actual bracket! Eight out of the 16 have made it into the bracket before, and only two others have been a part of previous elimination rounds. The rest are completely new, so it just goes to show how the community has embraced the initiative with an even wider audience!”
The 2026 Big Boom Bracket Battle Sweet-as-Pie 16 match-ups include:
- (1) Katie Fitzsimmons, Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home & Crematory vs. (16) Misty Conrad, Perry Waterworks
- (2) Kristy Hupp, Perry Paw Spa vs. (15) Chief Jim Archer, Perry Police Department
- (3) JP Hulgan, Hulgan Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric vs. (14) Pastor Andrea Brownlee, First Christian Church
- (4) Jeff Huitt, Tri-County Ag & Perry Economic Development vs. (13) Assistant Chief Andy Modlin, Perry Fire Department
- (5) Heather Ketelsen, Perry High School vs. (12) Officer Cameron Martinez, Perry Police Department
- (6) Brent Rowe, Perry DMACC VanKirk Career Academy vs. (11) Michael Peterson, City of Perry Parks & Recreation Department
- (7) Jenny Adair, Perry Elementary School vs. (10) Mike Hupp, Hupp Construction
Pasutti details that advancement in the bracket will be determined by donations from the community, accepted online, by mail and at various locations in town. The ultimate winner will be rewarded with a pie in their face and a traveling trophy at the end of the contest.
“We have a really nice variety of participants this year. We have business folks from across a variety of industries and also several from the Perry Community School District, City of Perry, Police and Fire Departments. It will be interesting to see who makes it to the next round, because it is anyone’s game at this point now that votes are based off of donations!”
The goal of the Big Boom Bracket Battle is to kick off the annual fundraising efforts for Perry’s Fourth of July fireworks show, all while getting the community involved for a fun activity during the month of March. Last year’s initiative raised more than $5,000 and Pasutti says the concept of ‘every little bit counts’ will help chip away at the total fundraising goal of $18,000.
Donations for this round of the contest will be accepted now through noon on Tuesday, March 17 and the Explosive 8 will begin that same day. Each of the rounds will follow the same pattern until the contest is complete. The Firecracker 4 will be announced Tuesday, March 24 and the Grand Finale Duo will be announced on Tuesday, March 31 for the final showdown.
The fireworks drive will run through the Perry Chamber Foundation and online donations can be made by clicking here.
In-person donations will be collected at the Perry Public Library, 1101 Willis Avenue, and donations may also be delivered to the Perry Chamber of Commerce at 1124 Willis Avenue or mailed to PO Box 472, Perry, IA 50220.