Entries sought for Mount Olive Christmas Parade, grand marshal

The Mount Olive Christmas Parade will be held Saturday, Dec. 2, and in what has become a holiday tradition, the public will have a hand in selecting the parade grand marshal.

Planning is under way as well for the Friday night, Dec. 1, festivities that will be held at the Southern Bank Parklet at the corner of East Main and South Center streets.

Those festivities will include a Christmas tree lighting ceremony and other to-be-announced activities.

During the Friday night event, children can register to be selected to ride with Santa in the parade as junior grand marshal.

The parade line-up will begin at 9 a.m. at Carver Elementary School, 400 Old Seven Springs Road, and will step off at 10 a.m.

The parade line-up order is first-come, first-serve with the first 25 spots reserved for parade dignitaries.

The route will follow Old Seven Springs Road to North Church Street to East College Street and then both sides of Center Street before disbanding at James Street.

The east side of North Center Street in front of Wells Fargo will be left open for handicap parking or senior citizens who cannot walk far.

The parade is sponsored by the Mount Olive Area Chamber of Commerce.

“Last year, I think we had about 130 entries,” said Julie Beck, Chamber president. “It was a very nice parade. I am starting to get a lot of emails so I am expecting to have another good crowd of people coming in for the parade.”

Along with accepting parade entries, the Chamber is accepting nominations for grand marshal.

“For quite a while we have been asking the community to nominate folks,” Beck said. “I think it is a good way because sometimes I think we always think about those people and know about those people who are doing these unique things for our community, who give back to the community.”

If Beck receives what she calls an abundance of good nominations, she saves them for consideration for the following year.

“I hate not to throw them back into the pot when they are really good nominations,” she said.

The nomination form should include a sheet with the nominee’s name at the top of the page highlighting the following: civic and church memberships/organizations, number of years served as a member/volunteer and reasons why this person should be chosen to serve as the grand marshal.

“Really, who are just writing a one-page letter about your person and why you think they should be chosen to be the grand marshal,” Beck said. “We are really looking for people who have done, not just that one good deed, but numerous good deeds over and over.

“So it is not those people who did something phenomenal, not that they are not worthy of being recognized, but we are looking for someone who has been consistent about giving back to the community.”

Requirements to be nominated are:

• Volunteers and gives back to our community, showing no concern for personal financial gain.

• Deserves credit for good deeds completed, but doesn’t always receive recognition.

• Is an inspiration toward making the community a better place to live, work and play.

• Resides in Mount Olive or the surrounding area.

Nomination forms are available on the Chamber website, www.moachamber.com, and at the Chamber office, 123 N. Center St.

The nomination deadline is Friday, Nov. 17.

Forms should be mailed or delivered to the Mount Olive Chamber, 123 N. Center St. Mount Olive, N.C. 28365.

Parade entry forms are available at the Chamber office and website.

The parade entry form and fees should be mailed to the Mount Olive Area Chamber of Commerce, 123 N. Center St., Mount Olive, N.C. 28365 by the Nov. 27th deadline, or a $30 late fee will be assessed.

Last year the fatality in the Raleigh Christmas Parade after a truck struck and killed a young dancer promoted Beck to email parade participants telling them to keep any motorized vehicles 100 to 150 feet away from any walking units.

“Last year my groups did even more than that because they were so cognizant of it (Raleigh parade fatality),” Beck said. “I will remind them about it again this year.”

Entry fees are:

• Vehicle/Homemade Float: Non-profit, $35; commercial, $60.

• Motorcycles/ATVs/Golf Carts: Non-profit, $15 per vehicle; non-profit group, $80 (maximum of 10 vehicles); commercial, $20 per vehicle.

• Horse Group/Non-Motorized Group: One horse, $15; group, $40 (maximum of five horses, additional $5 per horse). A clean-up person must be provided by each horse group or a $30 clean-up fee will be assessed.

• Walking Groups/Bicycle Groups: $15 per group.

• Emergency Vehicles/Elected Officials/Partners in Education/Marching Bands: No charge. Fire Departments may enter a maximum of two entries.

Only Christmas music is permitted and no one should dress as Santa.

Entries 30 feet or longer may have difficulty maneuvering the downtown streets.

During the parade Santa will be tossing out Dum Dum candy canes from Beck’s hometown of Bryan, Ohio.

Participants in the parade also are allowed to toss out candy.

For more information, contact the Chamber office at 919-658-3113.