Twenty-four units lined Nunnehi Trail on Friday morning for Kahite’s annual Fourth of July parade and breakfast.
Met with a round of applause, one by one, parade coordinator Nelson Ledbetter gave each unit the go-ahead to begin their trek around part of the neighborhood. It was the 10th year Nelson and his wife, Linda, helped coordinate the event, and it was the largest parade as of yet, with 373 people signed up for the morning continental breakfast which took place after the parade.
“It’s a perfect day, absolutely perfect,” Linda Ledbetter, co-coordinator, said. “There’s usually when we do this it’s like 90 degrees, so we’re so happy it’s a nice day. Not a lot of humidity. That’s going to be good for the people that are walking. It’s a way that we show our pride and our patriotism for our country.”
The community parade featured motorcycles, bicyclists, walkers, sports cars, Humvees and even a coordinated trash can group, called the Precision Marching Garbage Team, that did an organized act along the parade route. But the majority of participants decorated their golf carts with unique themes in hopes of winning one of the seven categories that were being presented in the parade.
The best overall cart received an Uncle Sam Award, which is a traveling trophy the winner brings back each year for the next parade, Linda said.
Bob and Bobbi Johns got to take the Uncle Sam Award home this year for their “Three Cheers for the Red Wine and Fruit” cart.
“We just say it’s the Fourth of July, do what you feel is good for you for the Fourth of July,” Nelson said of the many unique carts.
Linda said she had no idea that when she, Nelson and another Village couple formed the parade it would grow to the size it has during recent years. Now many find the parade as a sort of tradition with their children and grandchildren.
“The kids look forward to it,” Linda said. “I’ve had people tell me their kids call and say, ‘You know, we’re coming for the Fourth of July. Are we going to decorate the cart again?’ And they already have ideas of the way they want to do it. It’s just a good response by everybody.”
Last year’s best overall winner Village resident Laurel Marlette drove around in the parade with her grandchildren, Nate and Annie Marlette, decked in swimming attire for their beach-themed parade cart. Laurel said the parade has become part of a tradition with the family, where each year they try to come up with something different.
“The kids do most of the float,” Laurel said. “Last year we did an 11-foot replica of the ship we came over on. They did it. The kids have a major part, especially in the ideas.”
Each branch of the military was represented in the parade, with Villagers proudly carrying their unit’s flags along the parade’s route.
“I can’t believe how good it is living in this development,” Michael Bainlardi said, who served in the U.S. Navy from 1968-69 as a petty officer third class. “These people here are just phenomenal. I mean you can see it. Everybody talks to each other. Everybody says hello.”
Tellico Village Kahite Women’s Organization representatives Joan Taylor and Nadine Mazienis have participated in the parade each year.
“It’s just a Kahite tradition that’s kind of grown every year and more and more people are bringing their relatives to watch it and be in it, and it’s always followed up with a breakfast, a muffin breakfast, and even fireworks tonight,” Taylor said.
Linda said fireworks were shown in the evening from a resident’s backyard.
“All of Tellico Village is wonderful, but because we’re so small we can have something a little extra special, so I just love seeing us all together,” Laurel said. “When everybody sings ‘America the Beautiful’ tonight at the fireworks there isn’t a dry eye because I think just all (of our) emotions all go together.”
