Parade Committee Launches Its Annual Appeal

By Jan Howard

The Labor Day Parade Committee has launched its annual appeal for funds to support this year’s September 1 event and announced the theme and joint grand marshals for the parade.

The theme this year honors the younger generation of Newtown residents. “Newtown’s Faith in the Future,” a celebration of the youth of Newtown, has fittingly as its joint grand marshals Director Debbie Richardson and Life Skills Education Coordinator Roseanne Loring of Newtown Youth Services.

 “We’re hoping that judges for the parade would come from the schools,” committee member Brian Amey said this week. Letters are being sent to the public schools and St Rose School, asking that they nominate one person from each school to serve as a judge.

Mr Amey noted that invitations to parade participants currently are being mailed. Invitations are also being sent to the businesses of Newtown seeking their sponsorship support and advertising in the Parade Program.

Though there were some funds left over from last year as a result of some of the bands not showing up because of the rain, “It usually takes $20,000 to $25,000 to run the show,” Mr Amey said.

The committee is hoping to raise at least $20,000, he said.

Members of the committee are also hoping for better luck this year with the weather.

Again this year, Mr Amey said The Newtown Bee would help the appeal by including the donation coupon in periodic issues between now and the day of the parade. In previous years an appeal letter had been sent to all households in Newtown, which Mr Amey said was a costly and labor intensive exercise.

Mr Amey said the coupon campaign was “very successful” last year.