Originally published July 9, 2009 at 3:14 PM | Page modified July 9, 2009 at 3:18 PM

Chase will no longer sponsor Lake Union fireworks

The organizer of the Fourth of July fireworks display over Lake Union will have to find a new title sponsor after JPMorgan Chase & Co, which acquired longtime sponsor Washington Mutual last fall, said it was canceling the sponsorship.

By Sanjay Bhatt

Seattle Times staff reporter

The organizer of the Fourth of July fireworks display over Lake Union will have to find a new title sponsor.

One Reel, a nonprofit that produces the Bumbershoot festival, relied for years on support from Washington Mutual. When JPMorgan Chase & Co. acquired WaMu last fall, it had the option to break all lease agreements and sponsorships, Chase spokeswoman Darcy Donahoe-Wilmot said Thursday.

Chase decided to continue its title sponsorship of the Family 4th at Lake Union in 2009, she said, only because canceling the grant would not have given One Reel enough time to find another sponsor. She would not say how much Chase gave One Reel this year for the event.

The event took place from noon to 11 p.m. and organizers expected about 50,000 people. One Reel has been producing the event at Lake Union for 21 years.

Calls to One Reel this afternoon weren't returned immediately.

Sanjay Bhatt: 206-464-3103 or sbhatt@seattletimes.com

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