By Justine Reed It was a beautiful day for a Daffodil Festival Grand Floral Parade. I and Eatonville Dance Center dancers started Saturday, April 9 at 5 a.m. Lined up by 7 a.m. in Tacoma and ready to show off the hard work they had poured into the Eatonville community float. The day would take them to all four cities (Tacoma, Puyallup, Sumner and Orting( and would be a total of 26 miles of road. The sun was shining and the group had a great time. I have been working on the float for the past five years, and I appreciate the local businesses stepping up financially and donating products and services. I have spent 100 hours on this float and took a crashed 1979 Oldsmobile Cutlass to a amazing parade float with the help of the Eatonville High School shop class and teacher, Mr. Trapp, who welded all the medal to make the frame. With all the great memories these past years, I have decided to step down as the volunteer organizer of the float. It has been rewarding, but at the same time has been more then a challenge. With little community help, the stress level around parade time is very high. My students and dance parents spent the entire week of spring break decorating and staging the float. While others enjoyed the sun, they worked every day from morning until night. Our community needs someone who can take on this task for our town. Without an entry in the parade, we would not be eligible to have a princess from Eatonville, and our high school band would not be able to march. Please contact me if you are interested in taking on this project at 253-961-3250. I would like to thank some people for there continued support throughout the years: Eatonville Lions, Lady Lions, NAPA, Arrow Lumber, David Craig, Sara Williston, our Daffodil princesses and families, Town of Eatonville, Sorenson's, Plaza Market, The Landmark restaurant, KC Flowers, Cindy Gonzalez, John Hunter, Tammi Gebheart, Eatoville High School Key Club, Rich Williams, Betina Ella and Mat Call, Sherie Neff, Eatonville Dance Center, Eatonville Towing, Nichole Pole, Olivia Pole, Stacy Thornton, Jill Pollock, Dawn Newkirk, Mckenzie Hart, my husband Curtis Reed and parade float driver Mike Skantling. I could not have done it with out the extra hours put in by Olivia, Nichole, Sherie, Betina, Ella and my dance family who really stepped up this year. It has been emotional for me to step down, and I have shed a few tears, but after much thought and talking to my husband, I just can't do it any more. So much of myself has gone into this. I hope and pray someone will step up and embrace this great tradition.
Justine Reed operates Eatonville Dance Center.
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