ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – Friday evening, the City of Escanaba gathered downtown for its annual Christmas parade.
In addition to starting an hour earlier, this year’s parade took a new route, beginning at City Hall and heading toward the Marketplace. At the Marketplace, Santa Claus met with children and asked what they would like for Christmas.
Local law enforcement and public safety officers led the parade, followed soon after by the 7- and 6-year-old prince and princess. The Escanaba City Band and the Escanaba High School Band marched along the route, while one float collected donations from the crowd for Toys for Tots.
“Last year, we served almost 2,000 kids in Delta and Menominee Counties, and we want to be able to keep doing that,” said Marine Corps Delta and Menominee Toy Coordinator John Jamison. “We want every kid to have a toy on Christmas. That’s our purpose, to get toys in the hands of kids for Christmas Day.”
Any families in need of toys this Christmas can visit toysfortots.org to request toys for their children. The deadline to request a toy is December 12. Jamison notes that Toys for Tots works with St. Vincent de Paul and the Salvation Army, so families should choose one of the three organizations to request from in order to avoid overlap.
Cash donation boxes are located at stores throughout Delta and Menominee Counties, and toy donation boxes are located at Walmart, Menards, and L&M Fleet Supply.
