Marvelous Memorial Day Madness
May 30, 2011
Report

(Scroll down for a Photojingleistic Report by Mrs. K.)

The Event:
  The plan to combine our Memorial Day Parade with our annual Fund-Raiser was inspired! The weather was perfect, and the attendance was estimated at over 500 people!  We raised $7,118 at the event, which is about $3000 more than we raised at our fund-raiser last year. All of the traditional things we've had at both events in the past (decorated vehicles, balloons, hot dogs, cake walk, bounce houses, face-painting) were still very popular, and all this year's innovations just made the event bigger and better.
New this year:
Color Guard -- The flags and Boy Scouts started off the parade with authority and dignity.
Drum Line -- The drummers added rhythm and excitement to the procession.
Grand Marshall vehicle -- Since the parade this year was dedicated to the memory of Gretchen Peterson, her daughter Madeline made the perfect Honorary Grand Marshall.
Bicycle Brigade -- The fancy banner and the dozens and dozens of bikes following close behind were quite impressive!
Advance ticket sales and "Forever Festival" tickets -- These helped shorten the lines at the ticket table, and all the parents thought they were a great idea.
Grilled corn-on-the-cob -- Yummy!  This should definitely be on next year's menu!
Train Rides -- The Little Train never got to rest - everyone kept wanting to ride again and again.
Caricatures and Letter Art -- These popular new booths offered personalized treasures to take home and enjoy.
Crazy Races -- Wow!  What a great response to our first annual crazy races.  Everyone entered into the spirit of the tricky relays we had for all ages. And what fun for all the winners to receive medals!

It takes a village:
An event like this takes many hard-working and dedicated people! And a simple list of names doesn't begin to express my gratitude for all the work that was done in advance and behind the scenes! Please know that I appreciate the time and energy you all have spent on behalf of Launa's Little Library! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
    Event Coordinator:  Tiffany Walker
    Leadership Team: Tiffany Fairbanks, Paula Woodbury, Robyn Lilly, Jean E. Sides, Kristin Ingram, Laura Lavender, Kristen Moran, Kerry Smith, Caroline Branch, Robbin Dzina, Sarah Dorsey, Lee-Ann Graham and Suzanne Silva.
    Special Thanks to: Boy Scout Troop #890 (color guard), Cameron Sather & Sam Polacek (drummers), Micki Triggs (caricatures), Dan Grimminger & Bradley Harding (letter art), Marney Makridakis & Angela Hapka (face painters)
    Volunteers: Carrie Satterfield, Claire Mooney, Kari Mars, Erin Bierwagen, Kelly Martin, Jamie Peterson, Sarah Graham, Libby Nicholson, Kim Iltis, Kirsten James, Sundee McDonald, Kelly Musgrave, Stephen Sides, Don Wrightsman, Jay Walker, Tate Gorman, Robbie Corder, Travis Shahan, Jeff Kennedy, Anna Wrightsman, Amy Martin, Mariette Scherer, Teralynn Swank, Jalyn Wells, Robyn Howland, Courtney Faris, Amy Lorino, Bridget Foley, Jessica O'Keefe, Shelly Tompkins, Lisa Schaub, Lissetta Layer, Laura Wegener, Jeanie Portinari, Karen Alexandris, Kristy Kern, Kathryn Dries, Juleeta Harvey, and Dana Williams.  I apologize for any others that I might have inadvertantly left off the list. 

   The huge success of this year's event gives us an excellent working template for next year. If you are interested in being a part of the Leadership Team for Memorial Day Madness 2012, contact Mrs. K. (214-348-4384) or Tiffany Walker (214-348-7144).

Sponsors:
The following community corporations, merchants and organizations helped sponsor our Marvelous Memorial Day Madness event this year. Please show your appreciation for their support of Launa's Little Library by supporting them in return!
Norcross, Christy & Thomas Realty
The Tilger/Wright Group, w/Gilcrest & Co
White Rock Valley Neighborhood Association
State Farm Insurance
Scofield Christian School
Lake Highlands YMCA
Dorsey Construction
The Herrick Family
Kindermusik
Buyer's Barricades
T-Hee Greetings
Artellaland.com
My Office
Sam's Club
Medallion Target
Smoothie Factory
Super Target
Albertson's
Tom Thumb
Walmart

If you couldn't be there for all the fun, you can still support Launa's Little Library with a cash contribution. Checks should be made out to "Launa's Little Library," and are fully tax deductible. Drop them off at the Library, or mail to Arthiss Kliever, 9549 Spring Branch Dr. Dallas, TX  75238
We appreciate your support!
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A Photojingleistic Report - 2011
by Mrs. K.

  
   Color guard: Ready!                                                Drummers: All Set!      


Go!  Here we go with our best Parade yet! 

 
Here come the scooters!                                      Here come the bikes!


Here comes a happy mob with strollers and trikes!

     
Down Spring Branch...                                       Mrs. K.'s all grins!

   
What  a huge crowd...                                          as the Festival begins!

  
Tickets bought here;                                              Bikes parked there;


Happy families having fun everywhere!

   
You can win a cake!  You can win a pie!                  Waiting in the line to give it a try!

   
Corn on the cob;                                       Dogs on the grill;


Looks like the scouts are getting their fill.


   
All aboard, everyone! Hop on the train!                Lots of folks rode it again and again!

   
Your name on a sign!                                            Popcorn that's free!


And a portrait unlike anything you'll ever see!

   
Crazy Race Time!   Grab a front row seat!           The Cracked-Egg Winners can't be beat! 

   
Hot Potato racers....   Ready, Set, Go!                 Here are the top three: Win, Place, Show!  

  
Knock-knee racers  --  hop, drop, stop;           These three winners came out on top!

         
Level-Headed Ladies                                         show how it's done.

      
And the Silvas take the medals in the Family Relay Run!

       
Balloon Toss finals!                               Pigeons tied for first!


The other winners show us their balloons didn't burst!

    
   We're hot, we're tired, but we had a lot of fun!


Thank you, Tiffany, for a job WELL DONE!

(Photos by Suzanne Silva and Angela Hapka) 
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Last Year's Fund-Raiser
 October 2010

A Photojingleistic Report
by Mrs. K.