Parade floats holiday spirits
By Jamie Suhr
Staff Reporter
Although a gray sky and chill
ing 30-degree temperatures hung
over Lincoln during the Star City
Holiday Parade, spectators and par
ticipants said they were kept warm
witii holiday cheer - and a lot of
clothes.
“It was a lot of fun. Everyone
made it fun, but it was really cold,”
said Amanda Thomas, a senior and
flag corps member at Deshler High
School. “I wore four pairs of tights,
two gloves, three shirts and four
pairs of socks.”
The parade, which was spon
sored by the Downtown
Association, began at 10th and O
streets and looped around
Centennial Mall to the Comhusker
Hotel, 333 S. 13th St. The parade
took 90 minutes to follow its 1.4
mile route. In the past, 65,000
80,000 people have come to the
parade.
Dozens of floats and costumed
characters, including Elvis and
popular cartoon stars, joined local
community groups and businesses.
High school marching bands from
nearby towns participated, as well
as the Nebraska Special Olympics.
Also attending was a herd of lla
mas, provided by the Lincoln 4-H
Llama Club. Other participants
included the Big Red Bus, the
ft
You could come up to me next year and
ask me the same question, and I’ll say
that (parade) is best. It just gets better
and better every year.”
Brian Shuman
parade participant
Comhusker Model A Club and the
executive clown corps, who anoint
ed children with silty string.
In holiday spirit, Lincoln police
officers wore antlers and Santa
backpacks and had wreaths and bal
loons on their bicycles. On side
walks, volunteers collected dona
tions.
“It seems to me that everyone is
in the Christmas spirit,” said Danny
Keelan, a volunteer for Angel Tree,
an organization that helps the chil
dren of prison inmates. “People
have come up to me and have given
me money and don’t even want the
$1 candy bar.”
Many paradegoers, such as
Brian Striman, have seen all 13
parades. Striman has participated in
the last two. In this year’s, he and
his golden retriever, Meg, walked
with others for Golden Retriever
Rescue in Nebraska.“I’m a parade
nut,” Striman said. “This has been
the best of the 13 parades.
“You could come up to me next
year and ask me the same question,
and I’ll say that one is the best. It
just gets better and better every
year.”
Three-year-old Sarah Dean said
her favorite part of the parade was
the giant Garfield balloon, which
accompanied a giant Felix the Cat
and a giant caterpillar.
“I liked shaking hands with all
the clowns and cartoon characters,”
she said.
For those involved in the
parade, it gave them a chance to see
everyone having a good time and
enjoying the parade’s atmosphere,
said Linda Linder, who was on the
New Century Travel float. “It was
very fun,” she said. “I love seeing
everyone smile. It seems like every
one is in a festive mood.”
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Santa Cops hold toy drive
to benefit Lincoln’s needy
TOYS from page 1
to, Duden said. The program purchases
gifts for all ages of children, from
infants to teenagers, he said.
“Earlier today we used the auction
money to buy enough toys for the kids
to fill 15) a 24-foot Ryder truck,” Duden
said Friday.
Many organizations and businesses
have donated to the program as well.
Design Data gave 100 bicycles and hel
mets to the program. The Lincoln Home
Builders Association has built 100 rock
ing chairs and put a stuffed animal in
each chair to donate, Duden said.
When the program began in 1980, it
gave gifts to 253 children. Last year the
program gave gifts to more than 2,000
children, Duden said.
“Our program has grown because
we get to the kids who need the help,”
Duden said. “A lot of our kids we help
end up becoming donors, which only
helps the program to grow and is neat to
SCO*
This year, Santa Cop has had the
help of more elves than in die years past
The “elves” are Lincolnites who ted die
police of families who need help at
Christmas, Duden said.
One hundred hours before
Christmas Eve, Santa Cop volunteers,
with the help of the Lincoln Police bicy
cle patrol, will deliver the toys and gifts
to the needy children, Duden said
After Christmas, preparations begin
for next year’s holiday season, said Sgt.
Mike Bassett, a member of the
Lincoln Police Bike Patrol who helps
with the Santa Cop program.
“Santa Cop is about the spirit of
the season, eyes lighting up - it is the
meaning of Christmas.”
The UniversityProgram Connell Thanks
the 1997 Fall Event Staff!
I Allen Eckhoff Andrea Eckhoff Patrick Wiltgen
Colleen McGinty Natalya Shannon Shannon Snow
Brian Rowland Jessica Kingman Becky Blok
Gina Veeder Shane Mares Destiny Hilmore
Thanks for all you hard work this semester!
Hope to see you in January!
Thanks to the 1997 Fall Council and Advisors
Rich Caruso, Brian Kennedy, Melissa Strum-Smith. I
Also, Congrats to the new 1998
University Program Council!
Jamie Gaffney Angela Smith Dan Anderson
Rachel Hagen Jamie Grayson Christine Lams
Jennifer Robinson. Gina Sakaris Kelly McNally ,*■
Minisa Chapman Christy Holland Jazhan Amil
Molly Chamoff Ee Vin Chin Mara McClellan
Paul Pankonin Nanda Ramanathan Adam Snyder
Summer Spivey Andy Strain
[p-CodcCay SaCe)
C THE STYLES WE’RE KNOWN FORAT PRICES YOU’LL LOVE! J
SAVINGS OF
20%
30%
50%
THROUGHOUT THE
< 1 GIFT £
J AND W4
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