By Staff
What southwestern Michigan hails as its largest lighted holiday parade, the Dowagiac Candle-light Christmas Parade, which takes to the streets Friday, Dec. 1, has received a major funding boost.
As Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce puts the finishing touches on its Old-Fashioned Christmas Celebration, which is centered around its magnificent candle-light parade, event coordinators today announced the receipt of a $2,000 corporate donation from Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital, which will help defray the cost of the evening celebration.
Similar to a fairytale, the sights and sounds of the yuletide season will soon unfold before the faces of anxious, bright-eyed children as the Old-Fashioned Christmas Celebration returns to historic Dowagiac with its expanded Holiday Open House Weekend, Nov. 17-19, which is followed by its Christmas parade on Friday, Dec. 1, at 7:30 p.m.
"Indeed, we are pleased to announce the receipt of this major corporate donation, as we also extend our heartfelt appreciation to the officials of Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital," said Vickie Phillipson, event coordinator and program director of the Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce and the Dowagiac Downtown Development Authority.
Having swelled in recent years to 100 marching and motorized units, the Dowagiac Christmas parade is said to be southwestern Michigan's largest lighted parade.
Hospital President Bill Daam said, "Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital is extremely pleased to be the co-host of the 2006 Dowagiac Christmas parade."
"The holiday season is truly a special time of the year," Daam said.
"Among other things, it is a time to be thankful and is a time to think about the future. Our sponsorship is an appropriate way for the staff and the employees of Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital and Lee Memorial Medical Group to say thank you to the people of this wonderful community. It is also a demonstration of our commitment to Cass County, not only for this Christmas, but for all of the Christmases to come."
"Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital and Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce, as the host of the 2006 celebration, along with our six proud sponsors, invite families from southwestern Michigan and northern Indiana to gather together their friends, as they enjoy our Grand Old City during the yuletide season," Phillipson said.
Corporate sponsors of the celebration's Nov. 17-19 Open House Weekend are A-1 Expert Tree Service, Booth's Country Florist, Dr. Matthew Cripe, Felpausch Food Center, First National Bank and LaSalle Bank.
As event coordinator of the yuletide celebration, topping Phillipson's Christmas list is an invitation to surrounding high school marching bands to appear in the Dec. 1 parade.
Depending upon the distance the band travels to Dowagiac, the Chamber of Commerce is offering up to a $350 donation to each of the high school bands that join the candle-light parade.
Also new this year, officials from the Chamber of Commerce and Dowagiac Union Schools are talking about offering a section of reserved bleacher seating for parade spectators. Area high school bands that would like to learn more about the opportunity to appear in the Dec. 1 parade can call the Chamber at 782-8212. Individuals and organizations that want to enter a unit in the parade can do so by calling the Chamber by noon on Friday, Nov. 10.