The Gaspee Days Committee has been looking for the spark to get people to show off the historic event it celebrates and it looks like they have it – a picture of the HMS  Gaspee in flames.

The committee has worked to get Department of Motor Vehicles production of a Gaspee Days charity plate for about five years. The process, however, isn’t as easy as one would imagine. First of several steps is gaining legislative approval for a “charity” plate. Following that the DMV and state police need to approve  a design and then finally, the non profit to benefit from the charity plate is required to obtain a number of pre-production payments.

Sounds easy, but it hasn’t been for the Gaspee Days Committee or other organizations.

Pre-production orders has been the hurtle.

 About four years ago, the General Assembly lowered the threshold from 900 to 600 prepaid orders, but that was a tough sell.  Last year legislators amended the bill, giving the DMV the go-ahead with production of a charity plate with 150 prepaid orders provided the non-profit made up the difference of what DMV would have gotten had there been 600 pre-payments.  The charge for charity plates is $42.50. Of that amount $20 goes to the charity.

The Gaspee Days came up with a plate design promoting the 250th anniversary celebrated last year. They garnered about 70 preorders and had a list of about 100 people who were ready to commit. The design was an outline of the ship with 250th superimposed.

“We’ve come up with a different design to spark interest,” Miller said.  The plate is a reproduction of the burning ship painted by local artist Karl Doerflinger.  The  goal is to get 300 pre-paid orders  at which point the committee would come up with $12,750 to start production and get out the plates.   If the committee falls short of 300 pre-paid orders, refunds would be issued and the goal of a Gaspee plate dropped.

Pawtuxet resident Judy Hoffman is optimistic of surpassing the 300 mark.

“There very positive reaction, people are excited about it,” she said. “It is colorful and represents history.”

Hoffman has taken on the challenge of obtaining the pre-orders. To kick off the drive, a sign-up event will be held May 9 at the Aspray Boat House from 6 to 8 p.m.  Those planning to order plates should bring a check for $42.50 made out to the Gaspee Days Committee and a copy of their registration.  Order forms will be available. When issued, the Gaspee Day plate will replace their current plate.

Hoffman, who moved to the village about five years ago from Pawtucket  has found working with the committee a great way to meet people and participate in the community.

“It’s a group of great people,” she said.

She said the committee thought a change in the plate design would stimulate orders. The group looked at multiple depictions of the burning, selecting  Doerflinger’s because he is a local artist and Gaspee Day Historian John Concannon said it is historically accurate.

A change, however, needed to be made to meet requirements set by the DMV and state police.

The burning occurred on the night of June 9, 1772. Doerflinger’s painting portrays that it was dark. But, says Hoffman, the image had to be lightened to comply with the requirements.