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It takes a village

• Published August 14, 2009

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Saturday is the 80th annual Pet Parade in downtown Olympia, right? Right.

Lots of hard work went in to making this happen. Volunteers rallied to make this community event the best possible in light of current economic woes. And happen it will.

Me personally, well, I got relegated to scooping horse manure. Actually my grandcherubs volunteered for the job, and I will supervise – hey, they’re getting paid to do it, I’m not. A glamorous volunteer opportunity it is not, but glamorous isn’t what it’s about either.

I’ve been volunteering with Pet Parade for eight years. That doesn’t hold a candle to the years that some others have given., but what drew me to Pet Parade was not necessarily the animals, because we all know Tam’s not one to enjoy doggy kisses, it was the spirit of the teamwork, and the end result – many happy kids.

What has always made me proud to be part of this event was that no one group, or person needed to be recognized or publicly ‘crowned.' It’s been a chance to take part in something that’s important to our community.

This year, planning came late, but a little luck and a lot of teamwork will pay off. Next year, we’ll be knocking on doors a little earlier looking for those volunteers and sponsors whose community spirit makes the Pet Parade special, and something we can be proud of.

Don’t forget: Saturday (tomorrow), 10 p.m. at Heritage Park. Actually, check out our homepage for the parade route.

And me? I’ll be the one at the end of the parade anxiously looking forward to unloading a wheelbarrow full of crap.

It’s for the kids…….

It’s for the kids……..