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You may have to wait until Thursday to congratulate Independence attorney Les Wight for what is expected to be a highly successful first-ever St. Patrick's Day Parade in Independence.
Wight, who suggested the parade as a fund-raiser for Sunshine Center, will be at the tail end of the parade behind the horse entries ready to pick up their droppings with his scooper.
Dubbed as "McScooper of Stuff," the scooper was presented to Wight about a week ago by the Order of Erin the group planning the festive parade, whose theme is "A Pot of Gold for the Sunshine Center."
"I carry it in my car. You can never tell when you will need it," he joked.
When Wight first announced plans for the fund-raiser about a month ago, he said he would be pleased to have 10 to 20 entries in the parade, which he says is an alternative to the much larger Kansas City Parade that has become "so big and so nasty that many people are not interested in participating in it." Wight is excited there will be at least 30 entries in the parade when it steps off at 11:30 a.m. Thursday at Union Street and Lexington Avenue under expected partly cloudy skies and the temperature in the upper 40s. The parade will begin assembling at 9:30 a.m. in the parking lot of the Community of Christ Temple. Leading the parade east on Lexington will be the Color Guard of the Independence Police Department, followed by Parade Marshal Bob Chevers, whose birthday is March 17, and Wendy, the Royal Irish Highness who is Queen O' the Parade. At the Sunshine Center, 607 W. Lexington Ave., the parade will stop just long enough to pick up the Sunshine kids. "Some of the kids will walk. Some will ride on a float and some will be pushed in carts," Wight said, explaining the youngsters are really looking forward to being in the parade. The parade will then jog north on Pleasant Street to Maple Avenue, then east to Main Street, south back to Lexington and then return to the assembly area where awards, prizes and certificates will be presented.
Other parade entries include nine floats, a Jeep donated for auction to raise money for the return of the two Porter children from Independence, a truck carrying "Scoop," The Examiner's mascot, as well as covered wagons, horse entries, race cars, classic
cars, motorcycles, antique fire trucks, Budweiser/Dale Earnhardt Jr. No. 8 Legal Show Car, lots and lots of walkers and more.
Along the route, walkers will be passing out candy and soliciting funds for spectators will have the opportunity to place donations for Sunshine Center in a couple of Pots of Gold.
Checks should be made payable to Sunshine Center, Wight said, noting all money collected in the fund-raiser will be turned over to the center following the parade.
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