Parade Fundraising Off This Year

Parade organizers are having to temper their excitement about next week’s parade due to concerns over what will happen next year. It seems donations are way down this year.

Organizer Kym Stendahl this week said her committee may be able to sneak by this year with just enough money. However, there will be little money left over, meaning next year’s fundraising drive will be severely hampered… unless local residents and businesses are able to step up.

“We usually have a balance of like $4,000 to $5,000 left over after the parade. We use that to help pay for the fundraising drive. This year, we’ll have nothing, so we’re appealing to people. We really need this money to keep this parade alive,” she said.

It costs about $18,000 each year to put on the parade. That money goes to pay for certain bands, trophies, grandstands, etc. Planning the town’s annual Labor Day Parade begins in January.

Care to help keep the parade alive? Send your “Newtown Labor Day Parade” donation to: Fleet Bank, c/o Brian Amey, 6 Queen Street, Newtown, CT 06470.