Fourth of July Parade Applications Now Available

The Downtown Neighborhood Association (DNA) of Elgin is now accepting applications for the City of Elgin’s 2011 Fourth of July Parade - Presented by Sherman Health, which steps off at 9am at the corner of Slade and Douglas Avenues on Monday, July 4.

Parade and sponsor pplications are now available through the DNA’s website at www.DowntownElgin.com or at the DNA Office at 2 Douglas Avenue in Elgin. Completed participant and/or sponsor applications along with any applicable fees must be submitted to the DNA by 5pm on Friday, May 27 to secure a spot in this year's parade.

Every year the DNA and the City of Elgin try to make the parade more entertaining and visually appealing, so if you plan to participate, please make every effort to submit a high quality entry! The parade entry fee is $100 for businesses and political groups. There is no fee for not-for-profit organizations.

The theme of this year’s Fourth of July Parade is "Toys on Parade". Groups, organizations and businesses are encouraged to participate by decorating floats or parade vehicles in the finest toy-themed regalia or dressing up in toy-inspired costumes.

In addition to the regular parade float judging, which includes a first, second and third place prize in the Open, Business and Childrens categories, a special "Eco-Elgin Award" will be given to the float that best tells the story of a "Green" Elgin - utilizing eco-friendly materials and processes for their parade entry.

This year's Fourth of July Parade will also include a "People's Choice" award, voted on by the general public for the entire week following the parade, for the parade unit that best exemplifies the "Toys on Parade" theme. Photos of every parade unit and the online voting form will be available on the DNA's website at www.downtownelgin.com beginning July 6 and "People's Choice" award voting concludes Monday, July 11.

To select our 2011 Parade Grand Marshal, this year we are inviting local students, classrooms and schools to nominate a deserving teacher as our 2011 Parade Grand Marshal. Nomination forms will be sent to all public and private Elgin schools and will also be available on the DNA website beginning Wednesday, April 20. The parade committee will choose three candidates from all of the nominations to serve as Grand Marshals.

Groups, organizations or businesses can also help to present the parade for our community while gaining valuable promotion and premiere exposure by becoming a parade sponsor. Sponsors are included on all marketing and promotions prior to the parade and given special recognition on parade day, depending on their level of investment. Parade sponsors may also be parade participants, and must complete both the parade application and the sponsor commitment form - available now at the DNA's website. Sponsorship is available at levels of $250, $500, $1,000, $2,500 or more. Contact Jason Pawlowski, DNA Promotions Coordinator, at (847) 488-1456 or e-mail jpawlowski@elginil.org for more information.

Over 16,000 spectators annually attend this summertime tradition. Last year's parade featured over 110 units, 25 floats, 150 different parade vehicles, 2,600 participants and took over 50 volunteers to coordinate. As such the Parade Committee is also seeking additional volunteers to work this year’s parade. The time commitment is approximately 6am to 12pm, depending on what duty you are assigned. Volunteers are treated to a free breakfast at orientation before the parade and each receives a free parade t-shirt. Please contact Suzan Shipyor at the DNA Office at (847) 488-1456 or e-mail downtownelgin@gmail.com to learn more about parade volunteer opportunities.