Madison Heights

Save the Parade Committee begins planning for 2012

By Andy Kozlowski
C & G Staff Writer

MADISON HEIGHTS — Imagine working all year to raise funds for an event that comes and goes in the course of one day — and then doing it all over again.

The Madison Heights’ Save the Parade Committee has done that twice now, ever since the city cut the cherished tradition from the budget in 2009.

But it’s never easy, and it’s not getting easier.

“I’ve got my hopes built up,” said Martha Kehoe, chair of the parade committee, a task force of volunteers committed to raising money for the Memorial Day Parade. “It’s going to be a tough year. It’s going to be really tough. I noticed that with all our charitable organizations that we’re involved with, like the Goodfellows and different clubs, they’re down this year, as far as money-wise. I think a lot of people are really struggling, and a lot of people are losing their jobs.”

Now the committee is at it again. One of its first events is set for Saturday, March 10. Called the Crop & Craft, it will take place in the cafeteria of Lamphere High School, 610 W. 13 Mile, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The event features breakfast, lunch, beverages, snacks, raffles, a 50/50 drawing, door prizes, and plenty of space and materials to work on scrapbooking projects. It costs $25 per person, or $20 if the application is mailed by Feb. 29.

Space is limited to the first 40 scrappers, quilters, stampers or crafters. On-site vendor space is also available for those who want to sell supplies, at $15 per space.

This event is only the start. At the end of last year, the Madison Heights Intermediate Women’s Club (MHIWC) had a fundraiser involving the sale of cooking equipment. But beyond this upcoming crafting event, no other fundraisers have been finalized.

Various restaurant fundraisers last year had middling success, including a spaghetti fundraiser with the VFW that probably would’ve been more successful, Kehoe said, if it weren’t for its timing around the Kentucky Derby.

This year, the Parade Committee is looking into the possibility of a Madison Heights pub crawl like the one that successfully raised several thousand dollars for Hazel Park’s Promise Zone last year. The MHIWC is investigating whether it could be the required sponsor of the event.

“It’s definitely a good moneymaker,” said parade committee member Andy McGillivray. “They made $3,000 their first year on the Hazel Park one, and that’s a good chunk of change. We’re interested to see if we could make it happen. We want to draw in a new crowd, and this may attract people from outside the city, or who won’t go to a restaurant night but might go to a pub crawl with 10 of their friends. The big thing is getting the sponsors and the bars on board.”

The parade committee will soon start placing collection canisters in businesses around town. People are also asked to let City Hall know if they know someone with connections to Madison Heights who is serving or has served in the military. The committee is collecting the names, titles, years of service, and pictures of servicemen and women for the Wall of Heroes display, which this year will be protected by a Plexiglas cover. All pictures are returned once the parade is over.

In past years, the cost of the parade was somewhere around $9,000. The cost covers costs from the Police and Fire departments, and also the Department of Public Works.

The police maintain traffic control at 12 Mile and John R and 13 Mile and John R, with help from the Explorer Unit, which handles the side streets and prevents people cutting across the parade route from the neighborhoods. The Department of Public Services, meanwhile, sets up the parade barricades and works to keep everything running smoothly.

The parade committee has done a number of things to control costs, such as using email to sharply reduce paper usage in their communications to local businesses and each other. They also scheduled the parade for Memorial Day weekend the past couple of years, avoiding triple overtime costs for police, fire and DPW.

Despite all the hard work, parade committee members say it all pays off in the end to see the event finally come together.

“The biggest thing is the chance to honor the veterans,” McGillivray said. “There are so many in the community you’d never know are veterans. It’s nice to see those people recognized and paid tribute as well, and basically, it’s our one chance to do it each year.”

Kehoe shared this sentiment. “It’s been a lot of work, but when it’s so successful like it was last year, it’s worth it,” Kehoe said. “I don’t want to let it fail. So long as we’re able to raise the money, there will be a parade in Madison Heights.”

To make a monetary contribution to the Save the Parade Committee, make a check out to the City of Madison Heights, with “Parade Committee” on the memo line, and mail it to Madison Heights City Hall, 300 W. 13 Mile, Madison Heights, MI 48071. All donations will be thanked with a personal letter from Martha Kehoe.

The Crop & Craft event will be at Lamphere High School, 610 W. 13 Mile, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 10. The cost is $25 per person, and $20 if signed up by Wednesday, Feb. 29. Vendor spaces are $15 each. Make checks payable to MHIWC and send to Laurie Geralds, 299 Sonia, Madison Heights, MI 48071. Include a letter with your name, phone, address, email and whether you are a crafter or vendor. For more information, call (586) 940-4990 or email lbgeralds@yahoo.com.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Andy Kozlowski at akozlowski@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1104.