Go
Saints!

Friday
March 29th, 2024

pancake day 2020 logoELLY GRIMM • Leader & Times

 

Pancake Day 2020 is rapidly approaching and as part of this year’s fun, entries for the Pancake Day parade are currently being sought. 

This year's parade, again being sponsored by the Liberal Rotary Club, will be at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25 and it will start at 11th Street (with line-up being at Light Park) and end at Trail Street.

“As far as the floats we're looking for, people are welcome to explore Pancake Day and put a float together in that spirit in any way they choose whether it's a float or driving a classic car or other vehicle,” Rotary Club member Royce Kitts said. “This is a great way to not only celebrate Pancake Day that day, it's also a great way to get the word out about your business/group and what you do, and I know there's always quite a few businesses involved in the community. There's also always quite a few schools that participate in the parade and other non-profit groups, so it’s great to see that diversity.” 

The five categories for this year’s parade are Commercial, Non-profit Organization, Schools, Antique Automobiles & Equipment, and Motorized Vehicles. Prizes are $150 for 1st place, $100 for 2nd place, and $50 for 3rd place for each division, which totals nearly $1,500 in money that can be won. Overall, Kitts said, he is excited for this year’s Pancake Day festivities. 

“The Pancake Day Parade is what caps off all the Pancake Day activities and it's the last activity of that day, and we want everyone to turn out and celebrate that day with us because it is a big part of Liberal,” Kitts said. “Pancake Day is definitely something that makes Liberal unique and this time of the year is always dedicated to putting together the final plans for it – when I started here and started researching some of the town's history I read about Pancake Day and knew I would want to be involved with all of that in some way or another and in fact, the house I currently live in was once owned by Robert and Virginia Leete, so there's a lot of history. Last year I was the driver for the Leete family as they were the grand marshals for the parade and that was a great experience. Another cool thing about the parade is it's a great time to recognize our country, it's really cool seeing the presentation of the colors at the beginning of the parade and hearing the national anthem sung. It's also always great seeing 'That' Liberal Band in the parade, that's another favorite of mine because that group is so talented and I'm looking forward to seeing what the new director Jacob Wright does with the group. There will also be some area pageant queens that will be in the parade including our own Five State Fair Queen. There are moments from past parades people still talk about, like seeing a buffalo being ridden down the street, that's something we haven't seen in a while.”

Also, as a Rotarian, Kitts said, it is rewarding seeing fellow Rotarians and other local entities working together to put the annual parade on and all of its parts. 

“A great thing about Pancake Day in general is seeing all the different groups come together to put that day on and everything, it's definitely a community effort. There are always so many people who come out to the parade and there are so many people and floats to see, so I'm excited for this year and I want everyone to have a good time and I hope we're blessed with good weather that day,” Kitts said. “I'm also very appreciative of the Liberal Police Department, they do a great job with traffic control and making sure everyone stays safe and keeping the parade path open. We'll also have Al Shank Jr. be this year's emcee for the parade again, he always does a great job. As far as the deadline for signing up, we would prefer people to let us know by the week before Pancake Day, but if someone does make something and comes last minute, the Rotary Club will find a spot for you and we'll make it work. But we would prefer people actually sign up so Al can read that information out loud at the parade and also so we have an idea of how many floats and individuals to expect, so the sooner the better. And I know the schools will be closed that day, so children should let their parents know this parade will be happening and then just come out and have fun with the rest of the community. Liberal's better when everyone shows up.”

The parade is a great way to be more visible to the community, Kitts said, which should be a great motivator to those wanting to sign up. 

“There are a lot of businesses in town and this is a great way to get the word out about what you do and where you are located and all of that, and if you're in the crowd and new to the area, this is a great way to find out about some of the businesses that are in town,” Kitts said. “Another great thing about the parade is seeing the smiles on everyone's face as they see everyone and everything ambling down Kansas Avenue. And the community needs to show up and watch it so it's successful – if you've got 100 floats but no one in the crowd, then the parade's rather a flop. So if we can get a lot of sign-ups and a lot of people in the crowd, that's amazing. The crowds we've seen at the homecoming parade and the other parades in town has been pretty high, so people do like this parade and they do show up. So come out and have some fun that day to also thank the people who took the time to put all of this together. A lot of the floats are amazing and there's so much thought and effort that goes into them and we want everyone to see them.”

The entry application is available on pancakeday.net for people to download, and the form will be available for download through the International Pancake Day Facebook page. People can also stop by the library to pick up a physical copy of the form, which contains the information on where to send everything in. 

Overall, Kitts said, he is ready to see how this year’s parade turns out. 

“One of the other things I'm excited about is there are several car clubs in town and we're working on reaching out to them to participate and we're waiting to hear from them on that front, so we'll see about that,” Kitts said. “We're also reaching out to some other local clubs and groups about participating. Something that's true for a lot of Americans is the love of cool cars and trucks and other vehicles, especially for younger children, there's nothing cooler to them than seeing those types of vehicles up close and in person. I'm also excited to see what the turnout is like, I know especially the younger crowd members love getting candy and seeing everything that happens. If you feel like putting together a float or something but are a little hesitant and thinking 'That idea won't work,' put that thought aside and just go for it. It'll be a better parade if there's a lot of participation. It's the cap to Pancake Day and we can't wait to see everyone out at the parade.”