October 28, 2009

Hundreds of St. Croix Valley  youngsters take in Sunrise Rotary's 8th Annual Halloween Parade at Boutwells Landing

Another terrific event that involves multiple organization and generations.  Here are the stats:

• 453 kids
• 2x as many adults (parents and grandparents) walking with the trick-or-treaters
• 100+ Boutwells residents handing out treats
• 30+ Boutwells staff members
• 4 SAHS STRIVE members
• 4 teenagers from the United Way Youth group
• 40 SAHS Pep Band members lead by director Dennis Lindsay
• 25 Stillwater Sunrise Club members, their spouses and children
• Contributions from the Como Zoo, Cub Foods, First State Bank, Stillwater Motors and individuals from our club.
• Over 22,000 pieces of candy or treats handed out
• $700 collected for Rotary International's Polio Eradication Campaign
• Event began at 6pm and was over just after 7pm

This event is a club and community favorite as it involves so many people.  We need to thank club member, Mark Fisher for once again chairing this event.  It was the most elaborate and well organized parades in the events 8 years...well done Mark!  We also want to thank several other club members that helped make the event possible: Mark Lambert and his family, Chuck Buehler, Rick Robbins, Bob Rupp and Jon Stillman.

Pictured is Jim Meier painting Purple Pinkies on the fingers of trick-or-treaters as they donate to Rotary's fight to end Polio.  L-R: Betsy (5), Ellie (11) and Matthew McGinley (9) with Gina (10) and Erin Lambert (11).

We'll see you next year at the 9th Annual Parade.

Click on the link below if you are interested in sponsoring this wonderful event!

The 7th Annual Walmart Halloween Parade attracted over 500 children to Boutwells Landing Senior Living Center Wednesday evening where over 70 seniors handed out lots and lots of candy.  Walmart contributed the candy and Sunrise Rotarians made sure that the senior residents had plenty of treats for the kids.  In addition, the Stillwater H.S. Pep Band entertained the folks as they waiting in line on a beautiful fall evening.

Our club also raised several hundred dollars towards our $1,000 Polio Eradication pledge.

Thank you to Walmart, Stillwater Motors and First State Bank for their contributions.  We'd also like to thank the staff and residents of Boutwells Landing for participating.  And a special thank you to our club members, especially Mark Fisher for organizing this signature event.

Nearly 600 Halloween tricks-or-treaters marched through Boutwells Landing’s Town Square Monday evening October 29, 2007, to the tune of Stillwater High School’s increasingly popular Pep Band. They dropped 250 pounds of donated food into containers set up by Sunrise Rotary, and garnered at least that much candy in return.

Total number of costumed kids was 568 by actual clicker-count – 200 within the first 15 minutes.

Once inside the door, they were handed sacks of goodies by Wal-Mart and empty bags by Sunrise volunteers. They were then split into two lines and filed past 100-plus Boutwells seniors seated along corridor walls, who admired their Halloween costumes and filled their sacks with more candy and goodies.

They came from Stillwater, Lake Elmo, Bayport, Afton and all points between, making this Sixth Annual pre-Halloween one of the best ever, in the opinion of Sunrise Rotary members and Boutwells Landing staff, who co-sponsor the event. “Helping make it successful was strong support from donors,” said Ken McGinley, Sunrise president-elect, who chaired the preparation committee. He singled out Wal-Mart andStillwater Motors for their donations.

“Counting parents and grandparents who accompanied the 10-and-under kids, we estimate at least a thousand came through Boutwells main-floor corridor in slightly more than an hour,” continued McGinley. “Not bad for two nights before Halloween.”

The 250 pounds of non-perishable food items, requested by Sunrise as donations from the Halloween’ers, will go to the St. Croix Valley Food Shelf.