Parade of Lights ready to set sail

HARRISON TOWNSHIP — The Parade of Lights is back this year to support another awesome charity and spread light and joy on Aug. 2.

Julie Angst, Lambrecht Marina manager and Parade of Lights chairman, said she took over the event in 2014 and started raising money for charity.

“Every year we pick a different 501(c)(3) to receive the proceeds from the parade,” Angst said.

The charity this year is I Heart Dog Rescue and Animal Haven which is a no-kill shelter for homeless dogs and homeless cats. Dianne Reeves, I Heart Dog Rescue and Animal Haven’s executive director, said they house around 65 dogs and 10 to 15 cats. They also support 20 to 25 foster animals. She said they reached out to the parade organization because she had heard The KARENS, a K-9 rescue, had been the featured charity before.

“I reached out and asked if they would consider us and that is how it all started,” Reeves said.

She said they are not funded by public entities.

“All of our money comes from donations, fundraising and events,” Reeves said. “And it all goes back to saving dogs and cats as well.”

She said the money goes back to take care of the unwanted and abandoned animals.

“We find them forever homes through our adoption process,” Reeves said. “I think anybody who has a love for dogs and cats, or they have people in their family that do, I think it kind of touches on the heartstrings of a lot of people.”

The event is free for those who want to participate in the fun. Angst asks the boats to be 16 feet or larger due to liability purposes.

“We do ask that it is a little bit bigger if they’re going to have a couple people on board,” Angst said.

Businesses and others sponsor the event with different amounts of money. Angst said there are minimal costs to pay such as prizes and other things before the money goes to the charity. The main sponsors are Bumpers Landing, Tito’s Handmade Vodka and Freedom Boat Club with Lambrecht Marina as the host and Maritime Corporation as a cohost.

There are no specific themes to follow, but Angst asks that decorations do not include political or religious themes. The parade line starts at Lambrecht Marine with The Pride of Michigan leading it. It goes to Bridgeview, and the parade route will turn from there to go to the Harley Ensign Memorial Launch and head back to Lambrecht Marina from there. Line up is at 8:45 p.m. and the parade starts at 9 p.m. on Aug. 2.

Registration is required and residents can call (586) 469-6000 and ask for Angst to ask questions and register. Participants are required to have an updated insurance policy. They must state how many people will be on board and indicate the type of boat they will be using. Angst said there is a half hour captain’s meeting the week before the parade.

There is a contest with judges from the marina, the rescue and even residents can get involved. Residents will vote on the best decorated boat. To vote, they can contact Angst at the previously mentioned number. First place receives $1,000, second place gets $500 and third place gets $300.

Participants are asked to follow the rules of the water, and they must have a captain.

“You have to have a captain who is able to handle the boat and the rules of the water anyway,” Angst said. “That’s what they would have to do. That’s required of any captain.”

Angst said the parade is a family-friendly event and she hopes people will come out and watch.

Another service the rescue offers is housing animals for people who are experiencing a domestic violence situation. The rescue will house survivors’ animals for around 45 days while they look for stable situations away from their abusers. This program is in collaboration with Turning Point, a women’s shelter in Mt. Clemens.

“People who abuse pets become abusers of their partners — if not immediately, over time,” Reeves said. “But pets are also used as a manipulative tool to keep their victims in the home.”

She went on to say abusers will often threaten to harm or abandon the animal if the survivor leaves.

“We provide them with a means to get out of the situation and their pets to get safely out of the situation,” Reeves said.