Schlater's second annual Christmas parade is coming up Saturday, and its organizers say just about everyone in town has pitched in to prepare.
The parade will be held Saturday beginning at 11 a.m. Participants are to line up at 10 a.m.
The town's oldest resident, 102-year-old Pearlie Bolden, and Postmistress Rachel Grones will serve as parade marshals. The Rev. Robert Ingram will be Santa Claus.
The parade will include floats, antique cars, motorcycles, musicians, community group representatives and the Greenwood Police Color Guard.
The bands from Amanda Elzy, Leflore County and Shelby high schools will march. The mayor and members of the Leflore County Board of Supervisors are expected to be on hand. Organizations including Teens Against Premature Pregnancy, Deep South Cancer Control Network and Communities in Schools also will be represented.
Planners will meet today to get together the fruit bags that will be given to senior citizens. The other meetings have been well-attended, and preparations have gone smoothly, state Rep. May Whittington said.
"Everybody's doing their share and dividing the workload up," she said.
Freddie White-Johnson also is helping with the planning after running the operation last year.
She said last year's event proved to be very expensive, so a town meeting was held to get help from others, and people of all ages responded.
"That's really good, to see the town involved," she said.
Lee Abraham donated fruit, and others donated candy. Pizza Inn will provide food for the bands, with Scruples and Spotlite Skating Rink picking up the tab.
White-Johnson said she and Edna Powell are contributing other funds, including the money for bus travel for some out-of-town participants.
Whittington said she would like to hold next year's parade the day after Greenwood's so some of the same groups can take part.
Parade lineup:
- Fire Truck - Schlater's fire marshal
- Greenwood Police Color Guard
- State Representative May Whittington
- Grand Marshals Rachel Grones (Schlater postmistress) and Pearlie Bolden
- Leflore County Board of Supervisors
- Mr. and Mrs. Town of Schlater (Youth of TAPP Outreach)
- Greenwood Leflore Hospital
- Amanda Elzy High School Band
- Whileyton Antique Tractor float
- Teens Against Premature Pregnancy Outreach King and Queen
- Leflore County Schools' Superintendent Mr. Pulley
- Deep South Network for Cancer Control
- Leflore County High School Band
- Partnership for a Healthy Leflore County
- Claudine Brown Elementary School Float (King and Queen)
- Singing Youth Choir - First Baptist and Holmes Chapel
- Leflore County Constable Andrew McQueen
- Delta Hills Public Health District
- Truck with trailer and candy
- Ruleville Community Health Advisors - Research Partners (CHA-RPs)
- The "War Against Cancer" Car
- Sidon CHA-RPs (Warrior Against Cancer)
- Partnership for a Humphreys County Students Working Against Tobacco
- Greenwood CHA-RPs (Warriors Against Breast and Cervical Cancer)
