No one knew what to expect on Sunday, June 27th when the St. Anastasia School float lurched forward and headed north on Sheridan Road. The large group of of parishioners had waited in the hot sun for over an hour. Kids started to fidget. "When will we go?", they asked. Some parents wondered the same thing. Boredom quickly turned to butterflies, though, as the St. Anastasia parade entry met the first wave of parade-goers.  Cheers and applause were heard as our kids, many in the same uniforms they had hoped they wouldn't wear for another two months, fanned out to distribute candy.  Parents followed with flyers promoting the upcoming carnival and school registration.  The reception was great.

The St. Annie's group was lead by 7th grader, Larry "Uncle Sam" Wold, and was followed by alumni from the classes of '10 and '09. There was a group representing the National Jr. Honor Society and another representing the student athletics of St. Anastasia. Parents shepherded the kids along the route as the group approached the Clark's house. The crowd gathered at Todd and Melissa's annual party roared and cheered, and really energized the St. Annie's parade group (thank you, guys!). The St. Annie's kids responded with smiles and a cheers of their own.  There's nothing like playing for a hometown crowd! 

Many thanks to school parents, Joan Park (parade chairperson), Sara Reed, Sandy Sobczak, Dianna Burns and Homer Benavides (carnival chairperson) for their efforts to build the float.  "The turn out, school spirit, enthusiasm and willingness to make this year's parade entry for St. Anastasia the best possible was FANTASTIC and exceeded all of our expectations!" said Joan afterward.

Thanks to Alejos Villalobos for securing the trailer for our use and to Mike Reed for towing it. A special thanks goes to Amanda August (teacher and alumni) for representing the teachers and leading the students.

St. Anastasia made a big, positive impression on the city of Waukegan by participating in the 2010 Independence Day Parade. The parade entry marked yet another another milestone for the parish. This year, St. Anastasia will host its first Carnival complete with rides, games, food and entertainment on July 15-18. St. Anastasia also recently revived it's parish-wide rummage sale.

Click on a picture below to view the gallery, and feel free to post your comments about the parade at the bottom of the page.