Thank you, Orinda, and On to The Next Event!
Thank you to the many wonderful volunteers who made this year’s 4th of July festivities one of the Best Hometown Parades ever! While The Orinda Association (OA) puts on the parade and park concert in partnership with the City of Orinda, the floats, music, decorations and so much more couldn’t happen without the tireless efforts of many community volunteers.
Not only did individuals sign up to help, so did several groups including the Acalanes and Lamorinda branches of the National Charity League and Orinda Boys Team Charity.
“Our delineator crew, composed of Miramonte students, worked with our Parade Coordinator Andy Radlow from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m. They were incredible,” said Volunteer Co-Captain Latika Malkani.
Everyone attending the parade, which included many youngsters wearing the patriotic masks given out by the OA, seemed so joyous – so happy to be out and enjoying a wonderful afternoon with friends.
A special thank you to 4th of July co-chairs Bill Waterman and Diane Lautz, who, along with the intrepid Jill Gelster, kept everyone on track and made sure nothing and no one was forgotten! Other heroes of the day included Jackie Buettner and Cindy Powell, who made sure we had lots of music both in the parade and the park; and Buettner, Andy Radlow, April and Bridgette Meagher, who wrangled the people and floats in the BART parking lot getting them to the parade route on time.
“April, her daughter Bridgette and I organized the flow of the parade with Andy riding around everywhere on his bicycle helping to keep it all together,” said Buettner.
This hard-working quartet and their crew certainly did a great job. I’ve watched this feat in past years, and it really should be an Olympic sport!
Thanks goes to Decorations Captain Marianne Moser for arranging the balloons and festive decorations. She also paired with Malkani to coordinate the myriad of volunteers ensuring the parade and park concert happened without a hitch. Although there was a hitch, a two-horse one that pulled the Friends of the Joaquin Moraga Adobe entry in the parade!
Of course, a thank you must go to our wonderful announcers Scott Butler, Bill Cosden and Steve Harwood, who kept us entertained before and during the parade, and to our social media guru Roxanne Christophe.
Also, a huge thanks to Lyle Barrere and his crew from Desired Effect, who put together a fun livestream for those who couldn’t attend in person. If you missed the parade, or would like to relive all the fun, the livestream, including a drone video taken by Lisa Tashkevych, is available at www.orindaassociation.org.
And, of course, this event wouldn’t be possible without the help of Police Chief Cook and the Orinda Police Department along with the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Department, who kept everyone safe and the tireless work of the City of Orinda’s Public Works and Community Center staff. You’re the best!
Given the magnitude of details to put on such a successful parade, you would think OA members and their supporters would take a well-deserved rest, but, oh no; it’s on to the next event!
The incredibly hardworking duo of Waterman and Lautz is at it again. This time, they are working out the details of the Orinda Classic Car Show. With the support of the experienced and well-trained car show committee, the duo is checking items off their to-do list as the countdown continues to the show Sept. 11. Given the iconic date of 9/11, the 17th Orinda Classic Car Show will be honoring emergency first responders. Lautz hopes to have eight to 10 vintage emergency vehicles on display.
Approximately 200 American and European cars ranging from the 1920s to the classics of the ‘50s and ‘60s, as well as modern exotics, will be displayed. There will be live music with food available via the Fourth Bore’s classic firetruck. A clever re-design has turned that former emergency response vehicle into a pizza oven! If you would like to register your classic car or motorcycle, go to www.orindacarshow.com.
This popular event benefits the OA’s Seniors Around Town program, which provides rides free of charge to Orinda seniors, and other local nonprofits.
The “Delineator Crew,” composed of Miramonte students, worked from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m. to keep everyone safe as the parade weaved through downtown Orinda.
