|
by Carey King
It's a safe bet that the crowds attending the Sylva
Christmas parade next Tuesday, Dec. 2, will get a double dose
of spirit – one of holiday cheer, the other of American
pride.
Themed as a "Salute to Our Armed Forces," the parade's
grand marshals will be children whose parents, aunts, uncles,
or other relatives are military personnel. Each child will carry
a sign bearing the name of their loved one
.
Jackson County's four known former prisoners-of-war – World
War II veterans Ben Dillard, George Green, Walter Middleton and
Soldier Sanders – are also set to appear, said Betty Foxx,
parade coordinator.
"We'll have POWs all the way down to young children,"
said Foxx, who noted that the youngest grand marshal will be two-year-old
Sayre Soldier Coffey, Sanders's grandson.
Festivities will kick off at 6:45 p.m. with the lighting of the
Hospice Tree on the Courthouse steps.
Families served by WestCare Hospice in the past year will light
the tree. Chaplain Ron Allen is slated to speak and the choir
from First United Methodist Church will sing.
At 7 p.m., the parade will begin its march toward the Courthouse
from the Community Service Center behind the hospital. The route
will run down Scotts Creek Road to Skyland Drive, turning right
at McDonald's onto U.S. 23 before heading west on Main Street
toward the Courthouse.
Though Foxx says she can "yell as loud as anyone," lining
up parade participants is always a challenge.
"It gets crazy up there at the Community Service Center.
Parade riders need to be there by 6 p.m. I urge those who can
to carpool," Foxx said.
Those walking in the parade are to meet at First Charter Bank
and join the parade there.
While groups walking in the parade will finish at the Courthouse,
the eight commercial floats will end at Mark Watson Park. All
other groups must proceed from Main Street to an endpoint of their
choosing, Foxx said.
"I want people to know that just by participating in the
parade as a spectator, it shows they support our men and women
in the armed forces. That just comes from the heart," she
said.
|
