The Fourth of July Parade would not be possible without the support of so many people in the community! It all starts with the LAX Coastal Chamber, which has put on the parade since the beginning, rallying a group of dedicated community members to plan and organize all the details. Then there’s the nearly 100 people who volunteer the day of the event, dozens of sponsors, 50 entries and thousands of attendees who cheer on the participants as they make their way down Loyola Boulevard!
The parade, which celebrated its 22nd year last month, with the theme “Yours for a Better Community: Celebrating the Best of America,” was originally spearheaded by longtime Westchester resident and Historical Society President, Mary Lou Crockett, as a way to celebrate the millennium. Needing a community partner to bring this idea to life, she reached out to the LAX Coastal Chamber who jumped on board to help. Then chamber board president Gwen Vuchsas worked with the inaugural committee to recruit participants, volunteers and sponsors. And that first year in 2000, the chamber wasn’t sure anyone would show up! Luckily they did, and today the parade is a neighborhood tradition that the community looks forward to every July.
Congratulations to this year’s float winners: WISH Charter, Best Overall; St. Anastasia School, Spirit of the Parade; Emerson Ave. Community Garden, Chair’s Choice and Otis College, Honorary Mayor’s Choice.
Thank you to major event sponsors: Jane St. John/REMAX Estate Properties, Decron Properties, Zacha Homes, the Stephanie Younger Group, Drollinger Properties, Rotary Club of Westchester, Cedars-Sinai, Otis College of Art & Design, the Hometown News and Sunset Studios.
For information about getting involved in next year’s event as a participant, volunteer or sponsor, please email info@laxcoastal.com.
View our August edition to view some of our favorite parade moments, and view the link of all the photos by Parade Photographer Zsuzsi Steiner at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/139842392@N04/albums/72177720300359025
