By Mary O’KEEFE

The weather for the Montrose Christmas Parade was picture perfect. It is what Californians love showing their relatives in other states – but it hasn’t always been that way. I have volunteered with the Montrose Christmas Parade Association for many years and have experienced a number of weather conditions from rain to very, very strong winds. However, no matter the weather this amazing hometown parade keeps chugging along. 

I have volunteered for many organizations and events and it always amazes me on how many people actually step up to help. There are a few things you need to know if you volunteer in this community, including we work … this is not a community of volunteers that sits around – we are all boots on the ground helpers. If someone needs a helping hand there is someone on-site before being asked. Also, if you volunteer in this community you will more than likely meet someone who asks you to volunteer for another organization. If you are like me the emotional side of your brain says “yes” before your logical brain kicks in. 

There are over 200 volunteers who help with the Montrose Christmas Parade and many of them are students. I am in charge of finding student volunteers and I can tell you there has never been a time when I was not able to get students to help.

Since it was founded in 2010, members of the Prom Plus Club (PPC) have helped with the parade. Now not only do the current PPC kids help but many of the alums came back to lend a hand. These kids, and young adults, are inspiring as they continue to support the community. The alums actually contact me months before the parade to make sure I have them on the volunteer list. Students from Clark Magnet High School and CV High School have volunteered. In years past Glendale and Hoover high school students have also volunteered. This year we had a Wilson Middle School volunteer. What amazes me is these kids are so willing to just step up and do whatever it takes to make the parade better. They may miss watching their friends march in the parade and may in fact not even see any of the parade, but they are in the background making certain everything goes off without a hitch. 

These kids all feel like they are part of something – they are part of a community that supports them and they, in turn, support the community. I know there are times when we see middle and high school students making questionable choices or some of them talk in grunts and giggles but to be honest what I have noticed over the many years of working with the youth of this area is a real volunteer spirit. They don’t complain about helping out but ask if there is anything else they can do. At the end of the parade when we were all ready to leave a couple of students who had finished their volunteer duties asked what else they could do. 

“Can we help clean up?” they asked. That is the spirit that has made our community strong and what I feel is the spirit that will see us through this divisive period in history that we are now in. 

The weather will be cool moving through the week with highs in the mid 60s. There is a chance of rain today, expected to start mid-morning. As of Wednesday there was a 40% chance of rain between 10 a.m and 4 p.m. We will most likely be experiencing morning fog through to the weekend. There is also light wind expected, according to NOAA.