Community Corner

Why Brandon Is A Great Place To Be The Fourth of July

The Community Roundtable is busy at work on the Greater Brandon Fourth of July Parade. Don't let the parade pass you by. Here's your guide.

 
Details for the 2013 Greater Brandon Fourth of July Parade were hammered out over breakfast at the Chick-fil-A at Lake Brandon Village today on June 20, with representatives of the Community Roundtable and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office in attendance.

Some 100 deputies will be on patrol at the parade, helping to keep order and ensure safety, said Janine Nickerson, vice president of the Community Roundtable, formerly known as the Presidents' Roundtable or Roundtable Charities of Greater Brandon.

The group for more than 50 years has been involved with the running of the annual parade, a signature event for the Greater Brandon community.

The Roundtable traces its beginnings to 1957, when the group was founded as the umbrella organization for the presidents of local charities to bring their interests together for the the town's greater good. The group today is open to civic- and volunteer-minded residents.

"The parade is well-rooted in family tradition in Brandon," Nickerson said. "People tell us their grandparents brought them to the parade and now they're bringing their children to the parade."

"It's a very wholesome and community [minded] event," said committee member Randall Munsters. "It's held by the community and it represents the community.

Key Particulars For The 2013 Greater Brandon Fourth of July Parade (updated July 3):

  • This year's parade, Thursday, July 4, is set to start at 10 a.m., with lineup on Lumsden Road, heading east toward Parsons Avenue, beginning at 8 a.m. The parade is expected to finish by 12:30 or 1 p.m.
  • The route starts at Lumsden and Parsons, heads north on Parsons, turns west on Robertson, crosses over Kings and ends at Buckingham Place. Disbanding is a bit further west, in the parking lot of the Publix and Burlington Coat [anchored] shopping center.
  • This year's theme: "Honoring Americas Monuments."
  • The reviewing stand is on Robertson, across from the Brandon Regional Hospital and in front of the strip shopping center that houses Nature's Health Foods and the former Brandon location of the Copper Bell Cafe. This is the second year for VIP seating, beside the grandstand, which is reserved for past honorary mayors, Alice B. Tompkins Community Service Award honorees and their families and also the families of parade dignitaries. This year's Alice B. Tompkins designee is Betty Jo Tompkins (no relation), who will be riding in the parade, on the Community Roundtable float.

  • Parade judges are past Alice B. Tompkins award recipient Miller Dowdy, of IronLand Realty Investments; Jim Johnson, public affairs coordinator at Mosaic fertilizer and board emeritus for the Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce; and Janice Balzano, chief operating officer at Brandon Regional Hospital.
  • Parade awards and honorary mayor checks (see below) will be announced and distributed July 10 at Center Place, starting at 6:30 p.m. The Center Place Fine Arts & Civic Association shares space with the Brandon Regional Library in the Sandy Rodriguez Center, at 619 Vonderburg Drive, which is in view behind the lake on the parade route.
  • Returning as parade chair is Marie Cain, who said on tap for the parade are 45 floats and 90 units, higher and lower than last year's numbers of 35 and 110, respectively. Cain said there are fewer politicians in this year's parade, with 11 units versus last year's 30.
  • LaWayne Wyatt returns as parade marshal.
  • The grand marshal is Olympic diver Chris Colwill, who trained as a youth at the Brandon Sports and Aquatic Center, where he has returned to teach and train young divers.
  • The parade has rules. "Water guns are not permitted, for safety reasons," Cain said. "No alcohol and no glass bottles. People should not throw candy or beads, but they can walk alongside the parade to give out these things" at curbside.
  • In case of inclement weather, the parade will be canceled and there will be no rescheduling.
2013 Greater Brandon Fourth Of July Parade Dignitaries

Recognized in the parade are the Alice B. Tompkins Community Award recipient, Father of the Year, Nonprofit of the Year and Maureen Krzanowski Scholarship winner.

  • Betty Jo Tompkins is this year's Alice B. Tompkins award recipient.
  • The top dad, based on an essay by his daughter, Sarah, a fourth-grader at Lithia Springs Elementary School, is Sean Allen.
  • The top nonprofit is the GFWC Brandon Service League.
  • The recipient of the scholarship named posthumously for Krzanowski, who was active with both the roundtable and the Brandon Lions Club, is Zora Millerleile.

Naming A New Honorary Mayor Of Brandon

On July 4 at 8 a.m., at the law offices of B. Lee Elam, at the corner of Lumsden Road and Parsons Avenue, the town will crown its newest honorary mayor from a field of four contenders. The candidate who raises the most money is "voted" into office. Aiming to replace the outgoing mayor GayLynn Love are:


 
 






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