Tue Feb 09 2010
Home |
Back
Halloween Parade: Defiance couple will be grand marshals; Jon Niese also featured
October 23, 2009
By JENNY DERRINGER
The holiday tradition continues Saturday, Oct. 31, as the Defiance Lions Club hosts its 64th annual Halloween parade. The parade gets underway at 7 p.m., following a cannon blast by city residents Bill and Larry Duerk.
Parade grand marshals will be Defiance residents Alan and Amy Francis, world horseshoe experts. Alan, an employee at the Hubbard Co., has earned 11 of the past 13 world titles, including the last six. Amy, the director of financial aid at Defiance College, is a three-time world runner-up. They are members of the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association.
Special guest this year, noted
Lions president Jamie Blank, is 2005 Defiance High School gradu-
ate Jon Niese, a pitcher with the New York Mets. Niese was injured in August during a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, suffering from a torn hamstring tendon.
They will be featured in the parade along with dozens of floats. Highlighting the parade route will be non-profit, political and commercial floats, antique and classic vehicles and junior high and high school bands from Defiance and Paulding counties, as well as law enforcement and fire/EMS vehicles.
Those wishing to enter a float are asked to line up after 5 p.m. along South Clinton Street, south of the junior high school, to the CSX Railroad viaduct, and down Don Miller Drive. Owners of antique and classic vehicles may line up in the parking lot of First Federal Bank.
Monetary prizes will be awarded to the winning non-profit floats, while trophies will be awarded to commercial float winners. In addition, Defiance Eagles Aerie 372 will award medals to winning costumed participants in each age division. Costumed mummers are asked to report to the judging stand in front of the State Bank immediately following the parade.
Serving as parade announcers are Clear Channel personalities Dave Hire and Josh Bush. The entire parade will also be aired live on DCTV channel 5.
"This is our way to say thank you from the Lions club," said Blank, "as we continue this tradition. We want to thank the community so much for their support."
He also encouraged people to bring their donation of non-perishable food items to the parade that evening, noting that there is a great need.
As part of the food drive, food will be picked up along the parade route prior to the parade as Lions members ride in golf carts donated by Mulligan Sales.
Blank also said that Defiance Regional Medical Center, ProMedica Health System, Chief Supermarkets and Clear Channel are partnering with the Lions Club to collect food for the Neighbors in Need program. Those attending the parade and Boo Town, a pre-parade party for children, are asked to donate a non-perishable food item or a cash offering that will be distributed to Defiance County food banks.
Boo Town, featuring children's games and food, will get underway at 4:30 p.m. on the lawn of the Defiance Community Auditorium and continue until 6:30 p.m.
Activities at Boo Town include a children's costume contest, pumpkin weight guessing and Halloween safety games. Also participating will be Chuckleberry Clown and TC Hops, the mascot of Toledo Children's Hospital.
State Bank and Trust Co. T-shirts will be given out to the first 100 children, while free goodie bags will be awarded to the first 500 children. Free hot dogs are available compliments of Chief Supermarkets.
Comments
By Posting to this site, you agree to our Terms of Service Be polite.
Inappropriate posts may be removed.
Crescent-News.com doesn't necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post.
Login above or Register to comment.
0 Total Comments Home | Back
Copyright Defiance Publishing, LLC 1995-2010. All Rights Reserved.
Content may not be republished without the expresse written consent of the publisher.
Content may not be republished without the expresse written consent of the publisher.
Dix Communications