We could not have had a more beautiful day for the Christmas Parade this year; sunshine, clear skies and no wind. It was a great day and there are lots of people who made it happen. On behalf of the Mount Rainier Independent Business Alliance who took this on one time only, I would like to thank some of the people who worked so hard.

First, I would like to thank the Chamber of Commerce for hosting the event for the previous decade. I’m sure they seldom were thanked for the years of parades, but I know they received grief when they decided not to host this year. Cathy, Kim and the rest of you at the chamber: thank you for years past and for helping in the transition this year.

Thanks to the city of Enumclaw, especially the crew at City Shops and the Parks Department, for providing and installing the tents, stage, bleachers and for putting up lights and providing barricades and signs and all the little, unglamorous things that have to be there. Thank you to our police and fire departments who are always there for us, but not always seen. I know that Officer Chuck was on site at 6 a.m. in the ice when we arrived to set up on Saturday and it was nice to know he was with us.

Thank you to Jeff Iunker who was the best announcer we could have hoped to have! Your humor and wit were the perfect ingredients in the mix. And thanks, too, to your platform mate, Jon Funfar, who provided the sound and recorded the parade for ECTV.

To our judges, council members Jim Hogan, Rich Elfers, Kevin Mahelona and Liz Reynolds, it was an honor to have you participate.

Thank you to the owners of 1501 and 1512 Cole Street, formerly the Antique Mall and Leo’s, for allowing us to bring vendors into your spaces, and to the decorating elves, Liz and Don Reynolds, Jesse Patton, Brianne Kuhle and Laura McBride for decorating those spaces.

Thanks to Mike Runland who helped secure and pay for our event insurance; the Loft Salon and Spa who sponsored Santa; Thomasson Family Farm who ushered Santa in and gave hay wagon rides; Stanley Patrick Striping who loaned us the flatbed truck for the announcer; Watterson Excavating who tried repeatedly, to no avail, to bring in snow for the event when there was none to be had; RK Graphics for banner and corrugated signs, Tae Kwon Do Connection for hosting the drop-n-shop child care; Rainier Bar and Grill for sponsoring the stage; Enumclaw Self Storage for sponsoring the Battle of the Bands; Arrow Lumber and Gateway True Value for donating supplies; Black Diamond Bike and Backcountry for sponsoring the extreme bike demonstration and bringing in the talent; Hinman Photography for providing the free photos with Santa; Serene Day Spa and Radio Shack for donations; Skynet and BRC Gear for sponsorship and providing all the lights and ribbon for downtown, even off Cole Street.

Thank you to all of our sponsors, vendors, performers and parade participants. Without you, there would have been no event to host.

Thank you to two local artists who brought so much flavor to Candyland (pardon the pun!): Martha Boston who created the thee fabulous photo boards, and Linda Kittleson who painted the expansive window scene at 1501 Cole (old Antique Mall).

Thank you to Kelvin Schipper and Ashley Nichols who worked from early morning on both parade staging and performance stage set-up; Darrel Dickson and Dwight Larson and the wonderful volunteer crew they recruited from the LDS church, as well as the volunteers in costume, who showed up ready to do anything we asked – and did. Your smiling faces brightened up an already sunny day.

To Ludwig Suju and associates who shot photos all day long: thank you for capturing the moments.

Thank you to the businesses who participated in the window display contest to benefit Plateau Outreach Ministries and sponsored by The Courier-Herald. I have never seen our town look so dressed up.

And within our own organization, there were some standout volunteers that I need to recognize. Val Westover worked from day one to get mailers out and follow up with applicants and was still working all day Saturday, bringing in Santa and making sure he was where he needed to be when he needed to be there. Chuck Bender, Glen Jensen, Troy Couch, Sandy and Mitchell Dodge were awesome in the check-in and staging area. The one aspect of the event with the most potential for chaos was kept running smoothly and efficiently. Brianne Kuhle was on site, managing vendors and cleaning throughout the week and all day Saturday. She was me when I couldn’t be everywhere. Jeff Schweter and Peter Fisher built and delivered the ramps and sign kiosk for the event. AJ Hamilton, from the very first meeting in the summer to clean up on Sunday, was the guy who did anything and everything no one else did as well as provided and installed lights and garlands for the two storefronts we used for the event and at the stage.

If I have missed anyone, I apologize. Each one who was involved added something special to the event. I sincerely hope that whoever hosts the parade next year will have folks like you on board to help them.

Celia Bender

Event coordinator

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The Enumclaw Junior Hornets Football organization would like to thank all of its sponsors for the 2009 season: Bi-More, the Pierce family, Rodarte Construction, Dr. Stephen Harding, Beaird and Associates, Allpak Container Inc., Heinz, McKee Enterprises, Roosevelt Automotive, Stafford Excavating, Trident Water Works Inc., Work Sports and Outdoors, Dale J. Holland, Oakley Corporate Sales. Thanks also goes out to Cafe Panini for donating dinner to the Junior Hornets night for the EHS football dinner. Please contact Ragan Pierce at rsp4321@comcast.net if you’re interested in becoming a sponsor for the Junior Hornets’ 2010 season.

The Junior Hornets would also like to thank The Enumclaw Courier-Herald for publishing results, Thunder Mountain Middle School for use of both of their fields for practices, and EHS head football coach Don Bartel for the inaugural high school/junior football mentor program. A special shout-out is in order for four high school gentlemen who committed their time, energy, and motivational instruction the entire season: sophomore Kolton Carlson, seniors Joe Cerne and Jake Christiansen, and junior Andy Holdener.