The effort begins to get Kailua residents to pay, so holiday fireworks will go up.

Free fireworks have been an annual Kailua tradition on Independence Day, but now some in Windward Oahu hope to start a new tradition: having residents pay for the spectacular pyrotechnics shows.

Many Windward Oahu residents get ready for the Kailua fireworks long before the July 4th holiday.

"I look forward to it a lot. My cousin and I go down to the beach, hang out and spend the whole day there.  We watch the fireworks from the beach.  It's the perfect ending to a good holiday," said Kailua resident Wyatt Pedro.

But organizers of the big show in the sky haven't always been able to put as much planning into the pyrotechnic display.

"In the past few years, its been a last minute ordeal, everyone crunching at the last minute to see if there will be a show at all," said Jody Sakaba, with the Kailua Fireworks Committee.

Last year, the skies over Kailua beach were dark on the 4th, because efforts for a fireworks show fizzled.

"I was disappointed. Its always a great thing. They should have had it. It just wasn't the 4th of July without it," said Kailua resident Ken Wilson.

To make sure that doesn't happen again, a number of residents formed a non-profit organization to put on this year's show and future celebrations.

Instead of relying on big contributions from businesses to light up the night, a fundraising campaign will be launched at residents.