This year’s Parade and efforts to make the Lane “greener and brighter” were made possible by the hundreds of wonderful volunteers and dozens of local businesses that offered in-kind and discounted services. Here are some of the groups that merit our very special thanks.
Once again, Long Beach Lesbian and Gay Pride, Inc (LBLGP) provided volunteers to help on Parade night. For more than three years, Beacon House volunteers have also helped with traffic and crowd control. These volunteers from outside the Wrigley District made sure that the Parade went as smoothly as it did last Saturday.
Without WANA Board members Maria Norvell and Jim Trout, I don’t know how everything on the Lane could have been finished in the short two weeks between Thanksgiving and Parade night. On December 2, Maria and Jim put in over 11 hours supervising over 20 volunteers from Pacific Baptist Church, Atlas Marine and Desert Express. These volunteers loaded, transported and positioned the major displays and snow people. On December 6, over 60 WANA and Pacific Baptist Church volunteers worked from 7am until after 3 to place 75 character figurines, dust displays, install fencing and affix bows.
Maria and Jim also spent more than two days working with City Light and Power, which gave WANA a very generous discount, hanging new energy-efficient LED lights on 15 sponsored trees. Maria and Jim were out there for several more days to install over 125 energy-efficient 90 watt flood lights and test the power system.
Without grants obtained from LBLGP and the City’s Neighborhood Partners Program, and several major tree sponsors (Supervisor Knabe, Councilmembers Uranga and Andrews, THUMS, Pacific Hospital), WANA would not have been able to carry our commitment to make the Lane greener and brighter than it was during the last two years.
Joan Greenwood
Long Beach
