Community Focus
A Splash of Pink for the Gold Cup Parade
By Beryl MacRae

Nov 4, 2009

For those of you who may not know what the Gold Cup Parade is -  held in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, "The Gold Cup Parade is the largest annual event in Atlantic Canada and the largest Parade east of Montreal. Every year the Parade attracts upwards of 60 floats from businesses, communities and organizations from across the Maritimes; 12 marching bands from the Maritimes, Quebec and, occasionally, from the U.S.A., as well as numerous horse, car and clown entries. For the last seven years, the parade has also featured the much-loved huge helium filled balloons brought from Windsor, Ontario. As the parade has grown, so have the spectators, to where it is now estimated that upwards of 60,000 people view the parade on the streets of Charlottetown, and another 25,000 on local television." (www.goldcupparade.ca)

The idea of entering a float in the Gold Cup Parade was first mentioned by Glenda Gallant, one of the members of our support group, at an early spring meeting in 2009.  Glenda arranged for the truck and flatbed, the four-piece live band (No Exit), and funding from a local pharmacy.  She also purchased many of the materials needed for the float, dyed hats pink and made signs showing how many years being cancer free we representated.  Another member got a generator for the band at no charge and the CIBC Run for the Cure provided t-shirts and paid for the banners identifying our group.  For two days, a team of enthusiastic members painted and decorated the float.

The day of the float there were 14 members of our group on the float.   Our driver, Danny Rochon (owner of Yorktown Construction), had driven in other parades, and he could not believe the positive response we received from the crowds viewing the parade.  We had many cheers, applause and some tears along the route.  Some of us gave the thumbs up sign to women who identified "they were one of us."

 
I think we all agreed it was a very exciting event, especially for one of our members.  After helping to decorate the float and riding on the float with us, she began radiation treatments that afternoon for metastatic disease.  She had a rest following the parade, then was ready to face what was ahead of her at the hospital.  She is now in active treatment.  If nothing else was accomplished from entering our float in the parade it was enough just giving her excitement that day.  Even though she was in pain, being part of a parade for the first time was very important to her.
 
It was very heart warming to see how supportive the band members and truck driver were.  Nothing we suggested was a problem.  They wore the pink t-shirts and pink hats and have signed up for next year's parade.  They even gave us a suggestion on how we can "change it up a bit".

We are all looking forward to the 2010 Gold Cup and Saucer Parade!