Labor Day Parade Committee

Tries New Funding Strategy

By Nancy K. Crevier

Originally, the parade committee counted on the donations of Newtown residents to fund the annual Labor Day Parade, said parade president Beth Caldwell, Monday, August 9, but about seven or eight years ago it became apparent that increased costs meant additional revenue would be needed. “We started soliciting corporate sponsorships, and that has been fairly successful. But we’re always down to the wire, so far as funding the parade,” she added.

The popular parade, now in its 49thyear, costs approximately $25,000 to produce. Most of that cost is incurred from payments for bands, dancers, and other specialty groups “that make a parade, a parade,” said Ms Caldwell. Those entertainers are paid anywhere from $350 to $1,000 each to take part in the town’s end of summer extravaganza. This year, the parade committee has found it necessary to limit those entrants in the parade, in order to keep costs down.

Other costs associated with the parade include portable toilets, the cost of printing programs, erecting the judges’ stands, flowers, prizes, and other incidentals.

This year, the parade committee members once again put on their thinking caps, to come up with yet another way to pay for the parade. “We started thinking how people sometimes have a favorite group or band that they love to see marching every year, and that they might like to sponsor that group,” Ms Caldwell said. “So we are putting the word out, that if you, your family, your friends, or neighbors want to sponsor someone like the Sons of Portugal dancers, who cost us $700, or maybe the Connecticut Rebels, at $650, or the Mattatuck Drum Band, for $750, we would love that,” she said. If a group is too costly for an individual or family to sponsor, be creative, she suggests. Get work colleagues to go in on it together, or perhaps make it a neighborhood project to support the parade.

Currently, local attorney Eric DaSilva has signed up of a corporate sponsorship, and will also be sponsoring the Shriners Motor Patrol. Newtown residents Ellie and George Whalen are sponsoring the Shriner Clowns. “Ellie is a member of our committee,” said Ms Caldwell, “and lives on Main Street, so she always has a big party with family and friends coming from far and wide.”

Many other bands and groups are available for sponsorship. Contact Ms Caldwell at 203-994-4849, by Saturday, August 14, if interested. Later sponsorships will be happily accepted, but it will not be possible after that date to be included in the parade program booklet.

Corporate sponsors continue to be solicited, as well. Newtown Savings Bank has elected to be a platinum sponsor this year, for $3,000. At the gold level, the parade committee thanks The Newtown Rotary Club for its $1,500 contribution; Silver level corporate sponsors include The DaSilva Law Firm and Hometown Publishing, the Newtown Phonebook. Event sponsorship is available for $500, and includes a two-page, black and white spread in the parade program, said Ms Caldwell, as well as advertising on the parade website, newtownctlabordayparade.org. So far, the Newtown Lions Club, the Savings Bank of Danbury, Leahy Oil, and Newtown Hardware have signed on at the event sponsorship level.

“We are excited about the theme this year, ‘On Stage in Newtown,’ and are hopeful that the float entries will run with it,” Ms Caldwell said. “We love to see the creative spirit.”

The parade committee is pleased, despite the scarcity of funding to date, to welcome back many of the bands and other groups that have been crowd-pleasers over the years. Depending on the weather, that crowd could number 2,500 and up, she said, with nice weather bringing out closer to 5,000 viewers.

“We want to thank Sugar Hill Auto on Route 302 for providing the flatbed for the judges’ float, and Tom D’Agostino who is coordinating the antique cars in the parade, including the one in which our Grand Marshal Marge Rogers will ride,” she said.

Also riding in this year’s parade, she said, will be World War II Battle of the Bulge hero Alfred Green.

The committee is also grateful to the Newtown Police Department for support and guidance, and to the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps, which every year allows the parade to organize at its doorstep.

“The parade will begin at 10 am, September 6, rain or shine,” announced Ms Caldwell, “and I’m sure we can count on the community to help us make this a great day.”

Corporations, businesses, or individuals who wish to sponsor a paid band or group, or anyone wishing to enter a float, can contact Ms Caldwell at 203-994-4849, as soon as possible, she emphasized. Look for the coupon in The Newtown Bee each week preceding the parade, or go online to newtownctlabordayparade.org, to donate.