Medford’s Halloween Parade a Success
In spite of the approach of Hurricane Sandy, the Medford-Vincentown Rotary Club held an outstanding parade on Saturday, Oct. 27. The club made a commitment to the Township of Medford and the surrounding towns that Medford’s Halloween parade, held since 1946, would happen.
The Township of Medford was not able to pay for the police or clean-up of Main Street, so the club had to raise $32,000 that included all the costs associated with the parade. They did this through an early coin drop in Shamong and two coin drops on Medford’s Main Street. They also set up a web site www.medfordHalloweenparade.com, so donations could be made by credit card, sent out 11,000 letters to the citizens of Medford asking for donations, contacted local businesses for financial assistance, wrote numerous news releases that appeared in three local newspapers to let the public know of the club’s financial need to pay for the parade and made direct contact with a large number of potential sponsors. However, the bottom line was, regardless of the amount of money collected, the Medford-Vincentown Rotary Club was going to have the Halloween parade in down town Medford.
My personal thanks goes out to everyone that contributed money for this great annual event. A very special thank you is given to the Medford-Vincentown Rotary Club membership. In the weeks that led up to the parade, our club membership put in many hours of time planning this event, negotiating an agreement with the Township of Medford that allowed us to pay for the police and cleanup of Medford’s Main Street, looking for sponsors, raising money though coin drops, and at the front doors of various grocery stores, and other enterprising ways to raise funds.
Then on the day of the parade, the membership set up the judges stand, lined up the floats, the bands, and the large number of walking participants at St. Mary’s Elementary School on Route 70. Then following the parade, insuring the parking lot at St. Mary’s was cleaned and that Main Street was returned to its manicured appearance.
As I rode down Main Street in one of the lead cars, I saw the thousands of families that came to Medford for the parade and especially the youngsters who sat on the curbs with wide eyes and happy smiles. When I saw all this, I knew that the weeks of the hard work that was accomplished by my Rotary Club was worth every minute.
I am very proud of the men and women of the Medford-Vincentown Rotary Club and to be their president. They are a magnificent group of men and women who live every day by the motto, “Service above Self.”
Bob Wardle, President
Medford-Vincentown Rotary Club
