When you’re born and raised in Hazel Dell, USA, you know all about the Hazel Dell Parade of Bands. Whether you were a Band Geek (no hate mail… their name, not mine), a Little League baller, or part of some other fun community org, the Parade was a big deal each spring, whether you wanted to be in it or not.
I had my run in the Parade as a kid – via the Little League route, since I have absolutely zero musical talent. Check it out, I even have the ribbon (circa 1973) to prove it. (prove the participation, not the lack of musical talent, as that was pretty obvious). 🙂
Anyway. Fast forward about 40 years, and through my business activities I found myself on the Board of the Hazel Dell Salmon Creek Business Association, the org that puts on the Parade. Sweet gig. It allowed me to help with communications and promoting this awesome event. I wrote Press releases, built the website, ran social media, created the mobile app, did videos… all so much fun, and for a great cause. Oh yeah, and I took pictures. Over the course of the past dozen years, I’ve taken a little over 10,000 (!) pictures during the event. (If I know you, and you had a kid in the Parade, I’ll bet I’ve got a picture of them).
As a side benefit, it was the one day a year I knew I’d get some good exercise. I’d routinely walk 15-20,000 steps back and forth along the route on Parade day (and then likely not walk again for a few days). 🙂
Sadly, all my Parade participation came to an end (so I thought) when I needed to resign from the Association Board last year to begin this ALS battle. I was bummed, but I knew I couldn’t devote the time and attention the event deserved while I was fighting this disease.
Then, earlier this year, I received a call out of the blue from a friend who was on the Parade Committee. She told me that the committee had received my name in nomination and had then voted to select me as the Grand Marshal of the 2022 Hazel Dell Parade of Bands!
Seriously. How cool is that? Well, I think it is.
See, to me, the Parade represents so much of what is great about life. Family. Friends. Neighbors. Community. Being active and involved. Participating. Living. And sharing those special moments with tens of thousands of your friends and neighbors.
If you know me, you know I love a party. In fact, the more, the merrier. And I likely won’t get to throw a much bigger party than with 25,000 of my friends and neighbors as Grand Marshal of this years Hazel Dell Parade! Come on down and let’s have some fun!
FYI, the Parade is always the third Saturday in May, Armed Forces Day, which this year is May 21, starting at 10:30.
