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Woodbridge News
Nov. 14, 2005
The Grand Marshals for this year’s 45 th annual Woodbridge Township Holiday Parade will each represent a branch of the United States armed services, Mayor Frank G. Pelzman has announced.
The parade is set for Sunday, December 4, starting at 1:30 p.m. from Woodbridge High School, continuing south down Route 35, turning east onto Main Street and concluding in front of the reviewing stand at Town Hall. The parade rain date is December 11. This year’s parade theme is “A Holiday of Hope and Charity”.
The Grand Marshals and their service branches are:
Stuart Brandow(Army) of Woodbridge. Mr. Brandow served in the Army Air Corps from 1943-1946 and is an active member of the Avenel VFW.
Steve Cserr (Navy) of Hopelawn. Mr. Cserr is a World War II veteran and Past Commander of Hopelawn VFW Post 1352.
Bill Thomas (Air Force) of Iselin. Mr. Thomas joined the Air Force in 1954, did his basic training at Sampson Air Force Base in New York and was based in Alaska.
Bill Szabunia (Marines) of Fords. Mr. Szabunia served in Vietnam and is an active member of the Marine Corps League in Avenel.
John Craig (Coast Guard) of Colonia. Mr. Craig served in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1950-53.
“We are proud to honor these five men who have helped defend the freedoms we enjoy today,” says Mayor Pelzman. “Our holiday parade always brings out thousands of our residents, so it is therefore fitting that we salute our armed forces during this very popular event.”
The Holiday Parade is coordinated by the Township Parks and Recreation Department and is one of Woodbridge Township’s biggest events, drawing thousands of people each year and highlighting several holiday events in Woodbridge: the Holiday Train Display at the Barron Arts Center, Picture with Santa at Woodbridge Community Center, Christmas Tree Lighting, Chanukah Menorah Lighting and Barron Arts Center Holiday Concert.
The parade features professionally made floats constructed by the same company that designs floats for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in New York. The Woodbridge Holiday Parade is a colorful blend of homegrown, hometown specialties encompassing a splendid array of floats, marching units, fire and first aid members, veterans groups and bands, along with a trio of Queens and their Courts representing the three Township high schools and – making a special New Jersey appearance – Santa Claus.
The parade theme was selected as a way of honoring the Township’s many ongoing volunteer and donor efforts, says Mayor Pelzman. “Starting with last December’s Asian tsunami through the recent Gulf Coast hurricanes and other global disasters, our generosity and faith in the future have been taxed and tested again and again,” he notes. “Yet people continue to come forward to aid not only their neighbors but complete strangers living across the world. The theme of this parade reflects the joy and spirit of what the holidays are really about.”
Marching spots are still available for groups and organizations. There is no fee for a marching spot. Float sponsorships are also available. “This is a very visible and unique form of advertising for any local business or company,” says John Eberhardt, Parks and Recreation Department Director.
Parade participants or float sponsors should call Mr. Eberhardt at the Woodbridge Township Parks and Recreation Department, 732-596-4047. # # #
WOODBRIDGE CELEBRATES THE HOLIDAYS!
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HOLIDAY TRAIN DISPLAY, Barron Arts Center
November 27 – December 23
Mon.-Fri. 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Sat. & Sun. 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
HOLIDAY PARADE, Downtown Woodbridge
December 4, 1:30 p.m. (Raindate Dec. 11 )
TOWN HALL TREE LIGHTING, Woodbridge Town Hall
December 5, 6 p.m.
HOLIDAY CONCERT, St. Anthony of Padua Hall, 436 Port Reading Avenue, Port Reading
PICTURE WITH SANTA, Woodbridge Community Center
December 10, 10 a.m. – noon
CHANUKAH MENORAH LIGHTING, Woodbridge Town Hall
December 28, 5 p.m.
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MIS Department
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