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Entries Line Up For Youth Parade

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By DAVE NICHOLSON, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 16, 2008

Updated: 02/14/2008 07:55 pm

PLANT CITY - The Youth Parade may be two weeks away, but Pat Pogue is already busy making plans to ensure its success.

Pogue, who chairs the March 1 parade for the Plant City Civitan Club, expects 80 entries involving 3,500 youngsters. She has lined up a dozen bands.

The parade begins at 11 a.m.

Floats that aren't professionally made compete for cash, trophies and rosettes.

The parade, in its 35th year, has adopted the same theme as the strawberry festival, "Lights, Camera, Action." As its name implies, the Youth Parade is all about children; no one older than 18 can participate except for band directors and chaperons. Chaperons are required with each unit.

The parade coincides with the festival's Kids' Day, when there is no gate admission charge for children through high school age and ride prices are discounted.

The parade will form at the State Farmers' Market at Alexander Street and Dr. Martin L. King Jr. Boulevard. From the farmers' market, the parade heads north on Alexander, then west on Reynolds Street. The parade will pass the festival grounds on Reynolds and end near Sammonds Road.

Plant City police officers will close streets and control traffic, Pogue said.

In keeping with a recent decision by the city commission, there will be no distribution of candy or beads in the parade. Officials banned the distribution of goodies at parades in the city after a 9-year-old Inverness boy was run over by a Christmas parade float and killed while helping distribute candy from a church float.

Float judging takes place on the south side of the South Florida Baptist Hospital. The judges are from out of town and are not affiliated with any local groups.

The categories and prizes include:

•Best club/group float, $100, trophy and rosette

•Best church float, $100, trophy and rosette

•Best marching unit, trophy and rosette

•Best band entry, trophy and rosette

Second- and third-place winners in each category will receive rosettes.

The Civitan Club will announce the winners of each category immediately following the parade.

The club has several projects it sponsors throughout the year in addition to the Youth Parade. The club works with the youth in the community and with local students with mental and developmental disabilities.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Plant City Civitan Club's 35th annual Youth Parade
WHEN: 11 a.m. March 1

WHERE: Parade forms at Alexander Street and Dr. Martin L. King Jr. Boulevard and heads north on Alexander, west on Reynolds Street and ends at Sammonds Road past the festival grounds

INFORMATION: Call parade chairwoman Pat Pogue at (813) 754-4680.

Reporter Dave Nicholson can be reached at (813) 865-4432 or dnicholson@tampatrib.com.

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