By Emily Schopfer
RED BANK – The annual Family Fireworks will return to light up the night sky above the Navesink River July 3, courtesy of the Hackensack Meridian Riverview Medical Center Foundation’s Board of Trustees.
The annual event aligns with both Fourth of July and America250 festivities this year, but it is more than a colorful display: The fireworks are the grand finale to a private fundraising event that has benefited Hackensack Meridian Health’s Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank for over a decade.
Last year, the event helped fund projects for Riverview’s Emergency Care Center and the Oncology Unit. This year, it will continue to raise funds for the renovation and expansion of the hospital’s Alton A. Hovnanian Emergency Care Center, according to a June 23 news release. The private celebration is hosted at the DiPiero residence along the riverfront. However, the fireworks can be enjoyed publicly by spectators along the Navesink in Red Bank.
“We are thrilled to continue this tradition of providing a family-friendly event for the community while raising funds for a vital cause,” said Kenneth Esser, interim president and chief hospital executive of Riverview Medical Center. “We’d like to thank our event committee for their dedication, and the DiPiero family for once again serving as gracious hosts for this special event. Their generosity allows us to host this wonderful effort to improve the world-class health care at Riverview by funding a much-needed expansion of our emergency department.”
The transformation of the Emergency Care Center is already underway and proceeds from the July 3 event will further fund the center’s growth. Renovations to the unit will help address increasing demand for specialized emergency care and will add over 40 patient rooms and treatment bays to the center, according to the release. The entire project is expected to be completed sometime in 2028.
A new addition to this year’s celebration is Riverview Medical Center Foundation’s Ambassador initiative. The foundation is “seeking to partner with neighboring residents along the Navesink, and all who enjoy the fireworks display on July 3, to become Ambassadors for Riverview, by making a donation and hosting a fundraiser at their own celebrations to support this effort,” according to the news release.
The Dirscherl family is officially the first Ambassador under the new initiative. “We’re proud to help Riverview provide world-class health care while supporting a stunning display of fireworks,” said Dan Dirscherl, a trustee of Riverview Medical Center Foundation. “I ask my neighbors to join me in donating or hosting their own fundraiser for this worthy cause.”
“Riverview Medical Center is proud to support our community when people need us, and we’re excited to see donors come together to help us expand our services,” said Maria Maher, board chair for Riverview Medical Center Foundation. “Philanthropy plays a huge role in allowing us to grow with our community and provide for the needs of our friends, our family members, and our neighbors.”
All funds raised from the July 3 event will go directly to the nonprofit Riverview Medical Center and support the overarching Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH) Foundation and its “Be the Difference” campaign. Founded in 2024, this $1 billion fundraising campaign focuses on enhancing delivery of patient care, accelerating research and discovery, expanding access to care, and revolutionizing medical education while also supporting nursing as a profession.
To further support HMH and its initiatives, interested sponsors of the July 3 Family Fireworks event can contact Amy Emenuga, manager of Strategic Events, at amy.emenuga@hmhn.org or visit givehmh.org/rmcfireworks. For those interested in hosting their own fundraiser(s) or in becoming an Ambassador, visit givehmh.org/riverviewhostyourown. Tickets to the event at the DiPiero residence before the fireworks show can be purchased at givehmh.org/rmcfireworks.
The article originally appeared in the June 25 – July 1, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
