Independence Day is around the corner and the Everett 4th of July parade committee is hard at work to put on the cherished event for 2024.
But they can’t do it alone. Last year the Everett 4th of July Parade committee took over the reins from the City to put on the event after a Hiatus during Covid. They had the help of 40-community-member volunteers and are aiming for 50 volunteers this year to help staff the event.
Parade committee chair Jonathan Nelson, shared with My Everett News:
“America is beautiful because of its ideals of individual liberty, dignity, and respect of natural rights regardless of background, race, religion, or creed. We put on the parade last year to celebrate all this with our community, but we can’t do it without volunteers!
We need at least 50 volunteers to step forward and join us on July 4th to staff the event. Without volunteers, we can’t have the parade.
Our volunteers are the next component we need to ensure the parade can remain a tradition for Everett. We need people to help staff barricades, help with entry check-in and staging, and be parade marshals.”
The parade committee has volunteers attend one general training either on June 20, 25, and 27 at the VOA Carl Gipson Center from 7-8:30pm. Then all volunteers attend a “All-Hands” briefing the evening of July 2 from 7-8:30pm to get a final briefing from parade staff and City officials.
Those interested in volunteering can sign up at https://everett4thofjuly.org/volunteer/, or send questions to volunteers@everett4thofjuly.org.
Aside from volunteers, there’s still time to sign up to march in the parade which is open to community groups and non-profits, businesses, and political entries. Businesses and political entries have entry fees of $50 and $250, respectively, while community groups and non-profits are free to participate.
According to the parade’s website, “entities or participants in the parade that represent or advocate a specific interest in political or legislative matters, or a campaign for public office, are considered a political entry. As a rule of thumb, 501c4 or 501c3 nonprofits where lobbying is a substantial part of their activities would be considered political.” Interested entries can sign up on the parade’s website at https://everett4thofjuly.org/parade-participant/
On the sponsorship front, the parade committee has had notable success so far this year fundraising to help cover the costs of the parade, with $9,500 so far in grants from the City and Port of Everett and nearly $10,000 in local sponsorships from the likes of Totem Diner, Funko, Grocery Outlet, Work & More, Judd & Black, and McClain Insurance among others.
With the final pieces coming together, the parade committee is looking forward to another fun and memorable Independence Day parade for Everett.
March 19, 2024
Downtown Everett, Events in Everett