Longevity Bench float, which took “Most Ecological” award.
Seagulls on parade, thanks to the great effort that went into the Greenbrier Road neighborhood’s float with its Singing Beach theme and handmade costumes.
When the newspaper went to press last week, the final list of winners in the Manchester 375th Anniversary Parade had not been complete, so we’re including them here this week for good measure. After all, a lot of time and effort went into creating this year’s unique and beautiful float designs, and those who worked on them deserve recognition and our thanks for putting on such a great show for the community.
Here is the list of float awards, as determined by the judging committee.
Lisa Bonneville entered her “Longevity Bench” float with bench and people from the 375th Committee, including co-chairs Tom Kehoe and Sue Thorne, and took home “Most Ecological” award. Tim St. Laurent’s float for Manchester Essex Little League won for “Most Athletic.” Paige Donahoe’s float won “Best Community” for the Boy Scout’s float and truck. Brad Runnells won best “Town Spirit” for his float with greenery and flags. And Carley Cook took “Most Caloric” for her float that featured a massive 375th birthday cake, reminding us all of why we were there in the first place.
But it was Ginny Kiefer and her friends from the Greenbrier Road neighborhood did an amazingly creative job and she and her team took home “Best Neighborhood” award for their elaborate and highly creative Singing Beach-themed float. On the flat bed was a full set up of vintage Singing Beach goers, complete with a beach scene, music, a giant metal mobile of flying gulls overhead and hand-made seagull costumes worn by members of the neighborhood team who mingled out into the parade sidelines to greet kids and the crowd. (Wow!) Kiefer said it was the seventh parade for many of the women, and for each of them it was “a labor of love, and creativity. Every costume, except one, was laboriously handmade, with papier mache, thread, dowels, paint and pins.” A wonderful show from the ladies of Greenbrier Road.
“The 375th Committee appreciates all the work that goes into making the floats,” said Cheryl Marshall, executive director of the Manchester Parks and Recreation Department that managed the parade. “We understand that participating with a float is a sacrifice because you don't actually get to see the parade and we are grateful to those who made it a priority to be a part of the parade! The parade wouldn't be a true community parade without some home-grown floats and we thank everyone that did participate.”
Congratulations to all, albeit one week late!
Prizes will be sent out to all participants by the end of the month.
For more than 60 photographs from the 375th Parade, go to thecricket.com
