Thousands of dollars in prizes are expected to be up for grabs again this year for the Second Annual Lions Club Lighted Christmas Parade, scheduled to begin about sundown on Saturday, Dec. 5.
In 2008, the inaugural year for the nighttime parade, huge crowds of people lined the parade routes to watch all the glorious, glimmering entries, making the parade one of the best-attended ever in Sulphur Springs and an unqualified success.
“There were people everywhere,” said John Campbell, a Lions Club member who witnessed the massive turnout from his perch on the Lions Club’s float last year. “It was a great time, and we’re hoping it will be even bigger this year than last.”
Besides featuring brightly lit and ingeniously designed floats, there were $10,500 in prizes given out to the best of the 42 judged entries in the parade in the first year.
So far, the word is that the same payout is in place for the coolest, most tricked-out floats decorated in Christmas lights or any other imaginative design, as long as it complies with the requirements.
There are three categories of entries: commercial, non-profit/community organizations, and Bands. First place in each category takes home $2,000. Second place gets the recipient a $1,000 prize, and third place earns $500
Lions Club members hint the payout could be even more this year with the addition of title sponsor Duncan Disposal, a Republic Services company, and other supporters. Those include presenting sponsor Farmer’s Electric Cooperative, a partner sponsor in City National Bank, and two accommodating sponsors, Alliance Bank and Airgas.
“The city was instrumental in getting pretty much all the sponsors,” Campbell said.
But no one will get anything unless they fill out an official entry form, and all applications are due by noon on Thursday, Dec. 3.
So far only a handful of official entries have been turned in, but that’s no different from 2008.
“Last year, I think it was two weeks before the parade and we only had 13 entries, and then in the week before, they came flooding in,” said Campbell, a banking officer with Alliance Bank, explaining that parade officers decided to extend the application deadline this year to noon on Dec. 3. “We’re trying to let it go as long as we possibly can before the parade.”
Applications for the parade can be picked up at Alliance Bank, City National Bank, Guaranty Bond Bank and Tully Insurance Agency.
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