Hundreds celebrate America's 250th anniversary with fireworks in East Helena

Hundreds of people gathered Saturday night in East Helena to celebrate America's 250th birthday with a community-funded fireworks show.

The display from atop East Helena's slag pile capped off two weeks of celebrations across the Helena area of the nation's founding on July 4, 1776.

East Helena's fireworks event was first organized in 1957. This year's fireworks display was a community-driven effort. Town Pump put up $30,000 for the event, matched by $87,000 from donors organized by the Prickly Peak Community Celebration nonprofit.