Carol of Lights parade tomorrow night

By BRENDA SOMMER
bsommer@leader-news.com

When El Campo's annual Carol of Lights Christmas Parade comes glittering and twinkling down the road tomorrow night, one special group will be helping brighten the holidays for children they don't even know.

Cub Scout Pack 196, sponsored by the Rotary Club, will collect toys and non-perishable food items during the Christmas Parade, and all donations will be distributed locally through the Blessing Cup Storehouse.

"We're in our 10th year of doing this," Cubmaster Dawn Merta said. "Barbara Knudsen started it."

This is the first year the boys will also collect food, Merta said.

"We'll take the food items to put under our tree at Lack's, which turns around and takes it to the Blessing Cup," she said.

The group with the largest number of food items under its tree at the furniture store wins a cash prize.

If the boys win one, it will be used for pack activities, Merta said.

During last year's parade, the boys collected close to 100 toys, she said.

"We need new, unwrapped toys, which are also given to the Blessing Cup to distribute," she said. "We could really use toys for teen and preteens."

The pack also accepts monetary donations, which go toward additional food items for the Blessing Cup. For information, call Merta at 979- 543-4542 after 5 p.m. or e-mail dmerta@txins.com.

The theme of this year's El Campo Chamber of Commerce event is Christmas Around the World, and while entrants are always shy to sign up, it's expected to be a fantastic showing.

The parade typically has 75 to 80 entries - the largest topped out at 83. The deadline for entries was noon Monday, Dec. 3. The Chamber will still take some entries after that, but penalty fees will apply.

One entry that always pleases the crowd will be Chester the Longhorn, the pet of Donald "Duck" Nohavitza.

The bovine, who's reached "a certain age," will ride the route this year rather than walk it. He has been delighting paradegoers every year for around two decades.

Parade participants are asked to start lining up on East West around 6 p.m. while soonto be watchers are encouraged to grab a lawn chair and find a good spot along the route.

Just before the start of the parade, Mayor Phillip Spenrath will light the community Christmas tree in Evans Park

This year only the Grand Marshal Award will be presented in advance, to 2006 El Campo Citizen of the Year Rita Radley.

All other entries will be judged as they pass the Prairie Switch depot at Evans Park.

Notifications of winners will be made via phone, announced on the radio and posted in the El Campo Leader-News.

Starting at about 7 p.m., the parade will proceed up East Hillje, turn left on Washington, cross East Jackson (Business 59) and take a right onto East Monseratte in front of Evans Park.

The parade will then turn right on North Mechanic (Hwy. 71) and proceed to disbanding locations at West Webb (near Cellular One) and in the Lack's parking lot. Even-numbered entries disband on Webb, oddnumbered at Lack's.