BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – For one Brevard County family, the Fourth of July is more than just another holiday. It’s an annual tradition they’ve shared for more than half a century.
Bill Cook and his folks can’t get enough of the fireworks shows in Brevard County. Cook told News 6 the Fourth of July is his favorite holiday.
“Absolutely. Look what I get to do. I get to light it up for everybody,” he said.
That’s because the Cooks have been conducting fireworks shows in Brevard for the last 55 years.
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Cook gave News 6 a behind-the-scenes look at his fireworks setup as he’s safely prepping to light the skies in Brevard County for yet another Fourth of July.
“Of course, I have no explosives with me right now. I’m doing this safely, this is nothing but plastic and wood,” Cook said. “This is an igniter. It will ignite the shell and it’ll launch it into the air.”
Cook works for Zambelli Fireworks, which provides the annual Fourth of July fireworks for shows in parts of Brevard County and beyond, including at Front Street Park on the Melbourne Causeway.
“For Melbourne, Florida, my grandfather Calvin Cook started in 1968,” Bill said.
His late grandfather loved fireworks so much that he volunteered with a fireworks crew before being offered to shoot the show off himself.
“Since then, for Melbourne it has been Calvin Cook, Steve Cook, Tim Cook, or Bill Cook, that’s me. For 55 years we have shot the Melbourne show,” Cook said. “The current patriarch, Steve Cook, my father, he’s retiring this year. He’s shooting Palm Bay currently.”
Gina Petreins, Melbourne’s Development & Marketing administrator, said the city is thrilled to work with the Cook family and is always confident they’ll provide a jaw-dropping show.
“We are proud to celebrate their history and enthusiasm for what they do for the Zambelli company and everyone who enjoys their work. We wish Mr. Cook the best in retirement and look forward to working with Bill for many years with even bigger things to come in future MelBOOM celebrations,” Peterins said in a statement. “Happy Independence Day!”
Cook said he and the Zambelli Fireworks team pray before each show to make sure everyone is safe.
“The best thing to do is to leave (safety) to the professionals,” Cook said. “Be safe, everyone out there. Be safe.”
Zambelli Fireworks will be providing the illuminations for Fireworks at the Fountain as well, which takes place Tuesday at Lake Eola in downtown Orlando. Be sure to join News 6, as we’ll be there in person! You can also watch the event from multiple viewpoints on ClickOrlando.com and our News 6 App, where the festivities will be streamed starting at 3 p.m.
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