Ho, ho, ho - we need helpers to contribute to the Southland Santa Parade for 2021.
Rotary members relaxing after a working bee in 2017 to clean and paint parade floats.
Our club is supporting the Southland Santra Parade and chief elf Alice Pottinger and chief elf helper Ross Wensley still need assistance.
Part of being a Rotarian is to assist our club in ensuring it achieves its service opportunities, and helping out on this service project is really beneficial as well as being fun.
Included is the official release from the Santa parade and how it will be run this year due to Covid-19 restrictions.
The Southland Christmas Parade Charitable Trust has decided this year to bring the parade to the people rather than the people to the parade.
Alice Pottinger, Southland Christmas Parade Manager, said after careful consideration and looking for ways to bring the parade to the people it will go on.
"We have worked with the Trustees and local authorities to devise a plan to ensure the community of Invercargill doesn’t miss out".
Pottinger said the spirit of Christmas is important every year but it was even more important this year. With that in mind the Trust found a safe way to bring this important piece of Christmas cheer to the community.
Pottinger said they were still working through the finer details, but those who love Christmas should keep Saturday 27 November free. The street parade will be turned into a parade on tour around some of the major streets and suburbs in Invercargill. It will be scaled back to just the floats, with no walkers or people on floats to ensure health and safety guidelines are met and will finish with a static display in Queens Park for the afternoon. The tour route and times will be advertised closer to the day.
There is a lot of work to do between now and then, the Parade team will be working with the sponsors, funders, and community groups to ensure the day is a success.
Float - working bees
Each year the floats are given a clean, repainted and repaired if required.
The float workshop is at CP Wool Store, 815 North Rd.
The dates for the 2021 Working Bee’s are:
- November 13, (Saturday 9am - 12noon)
- November 20 (Saturday 9am-12noon)
- November 23 (Tuesday, from 5.30pm. Rotary social meeting - fish & chip tea provided)
Drivers for floats (vehicles provided)
On the day to tow floats.
Drivers are required from 12noon to 3pm.