Timber Creek’s Homecoming Parade
By Kaitlyn Buttiglieri
Since the school’s opening, the Homecoming Parade has been a time-honored tradition for the faculty, staff, and students of Timber Creek. This event is a community effort that involves all of Avalon by having local lower-level schools participate and the entire neighborhood attend. As the middle part of the school’s homecoming week, this tradition often follows up the kickball game with students against teachers and precedes the homecoming football game. With a whirlwind week, the homecoming parade is meant to be a more community centered event with families in attendance and involvement of all groups from TC. Clubs, sports, and many other groups participate in the parade in a harmonious celebration of Timber Creek’s school spirit.
As an ongoing tradition, the parade has a long history of evolution. What started as a simple homecoming event has become a large-scale community event. Participation expanded as the school’s districting changed. Now with almost 4,000 students the parade has grown in size as well. A combination of the school’s AFJROTC and Regiment lead the parade with the one and only Wolfie. This first group excites the crowd for the following principles and select staff from the local schools in the Avalon area. The next part of the parade is one of the most important with the homecoming court riding in convertibles with their pair partner. Following that is a mixture of clubs, organization, and sports to be brought up in the rear by the stars of our Friday night lights, the varsity football team.
Planning the parade is no easy feat, requiring months of work and many workers. Starting with permits and approvals in July, the parade is one of the most time-consuming events of homecoming week. On top of getting county approval, police officers and safety personnel must be assigned to be on duty at the parade in order to ensure smooth operation. Floats and trucks must be approved by the fire department in case of fire hazards as well as permission slip collection for all participants in the event. Prior to the day off, line ups for the parade must be made and details are coordinated for many aspects. Parade lead and planner Irena Rupita put in hours of work this year alongside her co-leads and workers. As only a sophomore this was the student’s first leadership position in homecoming week. Rupita said, “The parade took a lot of planning and time but it all worked out in the end. I was really proud of the work we put into it.”
This year, the parade faced one of its biggest challenges so far. For the first time in over twenty years, the parade happened in the rain. With showers beginning during decoration and set up, the event was in jeopardy of being canceled the day of for the first time in the tradition’s long-standing history. In the end, the lightning held up allowing the show to go on with light drizzles and determined participants. Despite the gloomy weather, the crowds were as large as any year, with children lining up to see the students. The walkers, float riders, and workers all put on a great show with smiles on, pushing through the less than ideal weather.
All in all the homecoming parade means a lot to Timber Creek and the Avalon community. However, with all of the growing complications and new approvals required to keep the tradition going, it might be time to consider a new route. Traditions are important and can be the foundation of a community, however evolving into new versions is the best way to keep the tradition alive.
