Photos by Nathan Appel. ©2007 All rights reserved.
Click on slideshow to view gallery and order prints online.
Steve Smith | MARKETING
The 2007 Santa Maria Christmas Parade of Lights was by all accounts a rousing success. This year's parade featured 110 entries, including local businesses, churches, charities, schools and social groups. Both sides of Broadway were brimming with spectators, estimated at over 25,000 onlookers, a big increase over last year's turnout.
Four Rotary clubs - Santa Maria Breakfast, Santa Maria South, Santa Maria Noontime and Nipomo - organize the parade. In keeping with the theme, “The Joy of Giving,” spectators and parade participants brought in almost 5,000 pounds of nonperishable food items to donate to the Salvation Army food pantry.
This year's CHC procession was presided over by our Honorary Head Cheerleader, Lisa Silva. Lisa led the pack -- pop-poms waving -- and kept everyone in good spirits with her infectious cheer. She led the kids in CHC chants, and impressed us all with her acrobatic high kicks. As always, we could not have pulled off this year's entry without Parade Volunteer Coordinator Irma Mejia, and Transportation Queen Patty Starr. Special thanks to everyone who arrived early to help with decorating the Mobile Medical Unit, which looked beautiful. Even our photographer Nathan Appel put down his camera long enough to help trim the van with lights. This year our team handed out 3000 CHC brochures in English and Spanish, which included a "Healthy Holidays" refrigerator magnet, highlighting the two Santa Maria health center locations.
KCOY and FOX11 both featured live coverage of the parade. CHC's entry can be viewed here: CHC Parade Coverage
After the commercial, CHC is position #69, at minute 13:47 in the video clip
I have to take a moment to thank all the kids who participated. During the hours before the parade, and during the procession itself, I never once heard a single word of protest from these little troopers. They were all smiles and waves, and so helpful with handing out brochures, while spreading CHC's special brand of holiday cheer. My hats off to them, and to their parents for raising such well-mannered and enthusiastic youngsters!
Many, many thanks to all the volunteers for braving the chilly weather -- you are CHC's Ambassadors to the communities we serve.
Healthy Holidays!
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