Patriotic kids on parade

COEUR d’ALENE — A parade with hundreds of local kids, parents and pets decked out in patriotic colors crowded Sherman Avenue Monday morning in celebration of Independence Day and the attributes that make this corner of the country a special place to live.

Families and friends gathered downtown on the eve of Independence Day to participate in the Coeur d’Alene Recreation Department’s annual Kids Parade. Participants prepared floats, costumes and other attractions for this year’s theme: “CDA, what makes it special?”

Many families came to carry on traditions, spend time with their kids and compete for awards. Whether a family had done it for the first time this year or started a tradition with the parade’s beginning more than 50 years ago, they were thrilled to show their love for their country and their community.

Some families, including Paula Austin’s, started participating in the parade generations ago. Austin oversees the rec department. Her family float demonstrated their appreciation for all of the outdoor activities the area has to offer.

“Fishing, hunting, swimming, skiing, we do it all,” Austin said. “My mom had my sisters and I in the parade every single year, so I said, ‘We have to start the same tradition with all of the great-grandkids.’ My mom actually helped with the float; she wanted to be a part of it.”

Austin’s family named their float, “Salute to Great Nana’s Tradition,” and decorated it with American flags and two kiddie pools filled with water, earning them the award for Most Original float. The first-place winners in the Floats category are also longtime patrons of the parade. Katie Graupman of Coeur d’Alene, a creator of the award-winning red, white and blue “Tubbs Hill” float, started participating in the parade 19 years ago.

“We love the kiddies’ day parade; it’s a tradition for us. My grandma did it for my mom, my mom did it for me and now I’m doing it for my daughter,” Graupman said. She said the kids came up with the idea to use Tubbs Hill as their float’s inspiration, because it’s one of the most unique parts of Coeur d’Alene.

“We just asked them what makes Coeur d’Alene special and they said ‘Tubbs Hill,’” Graupman said. “You don’t really see a beautiful hiking mountain in the middle of a city almost anywhere else.”

A big pull for families who started participating in more recent years is the competition the rec department holds, awarding the top two floats in four categories: most patriotic, most original, best float, and best costume.

Kari Tapia of Hayden started participating in the parade with her first son, and this year her one-and-a-half-year-old, Daisy, rode in their papier-mache “Car-d-Alene” float. Decorated in red, white and blue with bumper stickers that featured places that make Coeur d’Alene unique like Hudson’s, Tubbs Hill, and the floating green, the little car took second place in the floats category.

“We’ve done it since Conan’s been 1 and we just have fun every year. We’re kind of a little bit competitive; we always like to try to win,” Tapia said.

Wendy Ellison and her four granddaughters participated in the parade for the first time this year. Ellison mentioned it to her granddaughters last year, but this year the girls asked to take part. Ellison said their favorite part of Coeur d’Alene is the people, and they demonstrated that in their “We the People” golf cart float, decorated in red, white and blue with a sign that read, “We love the great people in CDA,” and by dressing as the working people that make up the community.

“They did it all; they put the stars on with the tape and put the sparkles on the sign and they loved it,” Ellison said.

“I just really want to win,” said Ellison’s 5-year-old granddaughter, Hailey Post. Right after Hailey said that, Jordan Anderson, recreation monitor for the rec department, walked up and awarded their float most patriotic.

Anderson and the rec department’s staff judged the floats and handed out the awards before the start of the parade.

“It’s kind of what looks the best, how much time and effort they put into it, thoughtfulness; it’s for the kids so if they put in a bunch of effort then we want to reward them,” Anderson said.

Nancy Hillberg of Coeur d’Alene watched the parade go by and commented on the uniqueness of a passing float. She enjoyed the different portrayals of Coeur d’Alene’s special qualities, but she thought the most special part about Coeur d’Alene was these kids.

“Some people in the park told us the theme is: ‘Coeur d’Alene: what makes it special?’ I said, ‘We should just make them signs that say, ‘Us; we’re special! We’re what makes Coeur d’Alene special,’” Hillberg said.

RESULTS FOR 2017 KIDDIES PARADE

Most original

- First place — Dash and Kingston Willoughby for their “Salute to Great Nana’s Tradition,” a flag-decorated float in a pool; and Avery and Braxton Meyer for their patriotic entry that also highlighted activities that make Coeur d’Alene great.

- Second place — Ward King, Stein Berk, Maverick Schindelbeck and Kambry Schacher for their wagon titled “Homegrown” and decorated with farm feed with hay and chickens.

Best theme

- First place — Greyson and Weston Gimbel, Ella and Eric Woods, Clayton Petrusky and Damon and Scarlet Musse for their “Lake Fun” float decorated with kayaks and fishing poles being towed behind a four-wheeler.

- Second place — Parker, Carli and Cassie Chaffin and Blake, Kylie and Mason Anderson for their entry, “I love you to the lake and back” featuring a four-wheeler wrapped with a boat pulling an inflatable boat tube.

Floats

- First place — Anna Graupman, Shannon and Tristan Riplinger, Ayla and Branson McAlister, Gabriel Gier, Ehren, Aden and Layne Brewer for their red, white and blue float titled “Tubbs Hill.”

- Second place — Daisy and Conan Tapia and Reggie Moretz for “Car-d-Alene,” a papier mache car painted in patriotic colors.

Most patriotic

- First place ­— Kiera, Kimber and Kinzlee Ellison and Hailey Post for “We the People,” a golf cart decorated in red, white and blue with other patriotic décor.

- Second place — Taylor and his pony Rico and Zia and her pony Foxy for “Ponies on Parade.”

Costumes

- First place — Bently and Carter Knoll for their police officer costumes and their police motorcycle.

- Second place — Micah and Maya Borges for their red white and blue patriotic costumes.