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Committees: Fourth of July Parade Committee

Fourth of July Parade Committee

It is the responsibility of the July 4th Parade Committee to plan ,organize and raise funds for the annual Independence Day Parade , as well as the Band Concert by The Satuit Band at the Harbor.  The floats, marchers, and bands are provided by different organizations.  The fundraisers pay for the marching bands as well as the historic civil & revolutionary war marching units that everyone enjoys during the parade. Since the beginning of the nineties, the committee has raised the funds necessary to hire the bands, the reenactment marching units and the band concert.  The major fundraisers are the golf tournament and sale of our buttons, Donations are always welcome.

2011 Report

The 2011 Fourth of July Parade was another great celebration for the South Shore!

With more than 25,000 spectators lining the parade route, the annual celebration kicked off at the traditional 10AM start, with Mary Ann Blackmur organizing the start in her usual "take charge" manner. Mary Ann has promoted the overall 4th of July events in Hingham (the road race, pancake breakfast, parade, fireworks, and band concert at the gazebo) to all media outlets as one, total, Town celebration. Thank you, Mary Ann!

This year is Mary Ann's last as Chairman or co-Chair after a long run. The parade has flourished under her leadership and the Parade Committee and the Town thank her for her tireless support and her drive that provided the stewardship for this great slice of Americana that just isn't seen very often anymore.

The theme for this year was "Let Freedom Ring" and a striking design was selected for the button this year.

The travel gurus from Lonely Planet commented that nothing may be more "American this year than the celebration in sweet wee Hingham."

There were many bands, paid performers, antique or fancy autos, including a tribute to The Stanley Cup winning Bruins; and local floats from groups and neighborhoods. Some of these were: Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corp, 5th Mass Battery, Shriner Clowns, Satuit Band, Roma Band, Crow Point Marching Kazoo Band, Colonial Pipers, 7th Regiment Drum & Bugle Corp, 18th Mass Voluntary Infantry, Trevor "The Games Man," Saint Alfio's Band, First Foot Guards, Boston Windjammers, Pleasant Meadow Farm, The Imperials Drum & Bugle Corp, The Hingham Militia, Hingham Vintage Base Ball, Troop 52 Cub Scouts, and Hingham High School Crew, among many others

The Parade Committee has a Facebook page called The Friends of the Hingham Fourth of July Parade. Fans of the parade are welcome to add their own memories and photos there! The video from last year's parade will be shown on Hingham Community Access Media channel as the holiday approaches.

The Committee thanks all of our sponsors, partners, supporters, and donators – without your generosity, we would not be able to pay for the bands and entertainers that are a key part of the annual 4th of July Parade!

Including supplies, advertising, vendor costs and the paid performers the total cost of for the parade was approximately $30,000.

A special thank you to the Rotary, who each year provides the man (and woman) power to sell the parade buttons the day of the parade. Button sales each year result in another $3,500 - $4,000 for the parade.

The major parade sponsors included: Harvard Pilgrim HealthCare Foundation, The Flatley Company, Hingham Institution for Savings, Eastern Bank, Fruit Center Marketplace, Hingham Cleaners, Hingham Police Association, Tedeschi Food Shops, Queen Anne Nursing Home, Hingham Jewelers, Hingham Toy Storage, Mohawk Rubber, The Ink Spot, Atlantic Development, Shaw Saab, Talbot's Charitable Foundation, South Shore Magazine, Phil & Deb Edmunson, and David Ellison. Community Partners, who we rely on for so many things are: The Rotary Club of Hingham and Hull, South Shore Country Club, The Lions Club, Hingham Municipal Lighting Plant and Community Newspapers.

Committee Members: Mary Ann Blackmur, co-Chair, Jim Murphy, co-Chair, George Ford (Uncle Sam), Ginny Gray, Glenn Olsson, Dan Lahiff, Mary Ellen Lahiff, Stan Blackmur, Margaret Costello, Jim & Sue Drew, Virginia Spanagel, Cyndy Tonucci, Carrie Murphy, Louis O'Dea, Cassie McDermott, Jill Powell, Susan Hagstrom, Ruth Potter

If you would like to be a part of the committee or participate in the parade or golf tournament please contact Jim Murphy, 781-749-2413, or jmurphylsp@gmail.com