Southern Rowan Christmas Parade is Tuesday

Wednesday, May 20, 2009 3:06 AM  |  Printer friendly version | E-mail to a friend |

By Jessie Burchette

jburchette@salisburypost.com

LANDIS — The 2008 edition of the Southern Rowan Christmas Parade will be heavy on floats.

The parade gets under way at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday in Landis, moving northward to China Grove around 4:15 p.m.

Parade participants will be loaded down with candy to toss to thousands of waiting children and adults.

Sandy Overcash, who has headed up the parade committee for a decade, praised the work of the new leadership, Jennifer Hauss and Meredith Bare. "They have sold more professional floats than we ever have," Overcash said, adding, "We could have sold more but the float company didn't have any more available."

Overcash also praised the local businesses for sponsoring the floats in spite of the tightening economy.

The additional floats are expected to add more holiday cheer and sparkle to the parade, which will have more than 100 units.

Much of the parade work has come through a Web site, and future parade entries are expected to be handled entirely through the Web site and e-mail entries.

The new leadership, Hauss and Bare, have worked on the nonprofit parade committee for several years.

Hauss, 27, a China Grove resident, works at Stericycle in Concord, a firm that processes medical waste.

Bare, the new treasurer, is a Landis resident, who works for her father, Robert Bare Associates of Kannapolis. She is also a hair stylist.

While turning over responsibilities for the parade, Overcash expects to continue showing up to enjoy the parade and welcome Santa Claus.

The parade starts at the intersection of Highland Avenue, First Street and South Main Street in Landis.

It marches through Landis and disassembles at North Main Street and Laurel Avenue.

The parade reassembles in China Grove on Main Street at Stevens Street, goes up Main Street and breaks up at Ross Street.

Here is the parade lineup released by the organizers. Some entries include multiple units:

- China Grove Police;

- Landis Police;

- Sheriff of Rowan County, three units;

- Rowan County Rescue Squad;

- China Grove Elementary Chorus and Jump Team;

- South Rowan High School Army JROTC;

- Liberty Commons Nursing and Rehabilitation float;

- Bobbie Earnhardt, retiring Rowan County Register of Deeds, and newly appointed register John Brindle;

- District Court Judge Marshall Bickett;

- China Grove Fire Department, three units;

- Town of Landis Public Power, two units;

- Rowan County Commissioners;

- N.C. Rep. Fred Steen;

- Float — Prime Energy & Richard Locklear, attorney, and South Rowan Varsity Cheerleader;

- South Rowan Homecoming Queen Taylor May;

- Rowan Public Library Bookmobile;

- New Hope Presbyterian Church;

- Concordia Girl Scouts;

- South Rowan FCCLA — 100 years of Home Economics;

- South Rowan FFA;

- Float — Patterson Farms, Brooke & Brooke Attorneys and South Rowan Junior Varsity Cheerleaders;

- South Rowan Marching Band;

- South Rowan Miss Merry Christmas;

- Bostian Heights Fire Department;

- South Rowan Raiders thirrd- and fourth-grade YFL football;

- YFL South Rowan Cheerleaders;

- South Rowan Raiders fifth- and sixth-grade YFL football;

- St. Joseph Church/Keep Christ in Christmas;

- South Rowan Army JROTC Beauty Queen;

- City of Refuge Christian School;

- Center Stage Marching Unit;

- Float —Center Stage & JR Ritchie Electric;

- Carolina Siteworks;

- Rowan County Chaplain of the Year — Harold "Bud" Abernathy;

- AMVET 565 Queen —Nayeli Gutierrez;

- Highest Praise FWC Music Ministries;

- NOS Student Ministries — Highest Praise FWC;

- Highest Praise Kids Church;

- Commander American Legion Post 185;

- American Legion Post 185 Queen — Amber Waldroup;

- Rowan Regional Medical Center;

- Landis American Legion Queen, two units;

- Rowan County Relay for Life;

- Locke Fire Department;

- Captain's Galley and the Orange and Blue Crew of Carson High School;

- Carson High School Holiday Queen;

- Carson FFA;

- Mr. Carson and Queen of Clubs;

- Carson High School Marching Band;

- Carson Cougars YFL third- through sixth-graders;

- Carson FCCLA;

- Float — Gary's Barbecue and C&D Salvage of China Grove with Carson High School JV Cheerleaders;

- Carson High School Dance Club;

- Carolina Beverage/Cheerwine, three units;

- Cub Scout Pack 328;

- Dimensions Dance Arts;

- Float — Sandra's Beauty Shop and Kannapolis Sprinkler Co. with China Grove Middle School Cheerleaders seventh and eighth grade;

- World Christian Church;

- Smart Start Rowan;

- Corriher Lipe Middle School Cheerleaders seventh and eighth grade ;

- Humane Society of Rowan County;

- Southern Style Cloggers;

- Cub Scout Pack 301;

- Float — Grove Supply with Carson High School Varsity Cheerleaders;

- Little Miss Farmer — Kadance Bebber;

- Home Instead Senior Care, two units;

- Main Street Mission of China Grove;

- Girl Scouts Junior Troop 926;

- N.C. Brothers of the Third Wheel, Central Carolina Chapter, three units;

- Incredible Styles Salon;

- Oasis Steel Drum Band;

- F&M Bank;

- ARC Festival of Trees, 2 units;- Crescent Cloggers;

- Troop 456;

- First United Methodist Church of Landis;

- Atwell Fire Department;

-Sidekick Karate and China Garden;

- Hubert and Ellie Pharris;

- Rowan-Salisbury Schools Teacher of the Year April Williamson;

-Cabarrus County youth football and cheerleading;

- Rowan County Fire Marshal's Office;

- Landis Fire Department (three units)

- Santa Claus