The Greater Brandon Fourth of July Parade returned this year under a new group’s leadership with traditions intact.
The newly formed Greater Brandon Action Network (GBAN) took charge of the parade after the Community Roundtable, founded as the Presidents Roundtable of Greater Brandon Charities, announced plans to dissolve.
The Roundtable traces its roots as far back as the parade itself, which by some accounts was founded 67 years ago.
For many parade attendees, it’s a chance to relive their childhood memories and to share the parade tradition with their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Moreover, with ongoing growth, the parade always attracts newcomers.
“The last big parade was in 2019,” said Lisa Rodriguez, who at age 12 attended her first Brandon parade. Today she is president of GBAN and a former Community Roundtable trustee and treasurer.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020 and 2021, the Roundtable presented “a caravan-like parade at area nursing homes,” Rodriguez said, which also made some stops in neighboring communities. There was no parade in 2022. A scaled-down parade in 2023 returned to the contemporary route, kicking off at the corner of Lumsden Road and Parsons Avenue.
That leaves this year’s parade, which Betty Jo Tompkins, GBAN vice president and a former Roundtable trustee, said was “a wonderful showcase, of both new and longstanding units, to continue this cherished Brandon tradition.”
In addition to dozens of youth and adult volunteers, the parade was coordinated by parade marshal Randall Munsters and co-Chair Lela Lilyquist, also former Roundtable trustees.
Rodriguez said unit involvement does not end with this year’s parade. “The groups that participated become GBAN members, and we’re glad to have them and to hear their input for next year’s parade and other programming,” Rodriguez said.
The GBAN goal is community engagement year-round, Tompkins said. “While the parade is our signature event, we anticipate offering a number of additional activities throughout the year. One idea is to help nonprofits in their efforts to network, market and secure grants and other sources of funding.”
In a nutshell, Rodriguez said, “We’re a network of volunteers for the common good of our community.”
