Editor’s Note: Below is a notice drafted by longtime Christmas Parade coordinator, Dr. Cliff Kopp, a local dentist and homelessness activist in Kailua-Kona who died unexpectedly in October. A celebration of Dr. Kopp’s life will be held on the north side of Keauhou Bay on Dec. 8 at 10:30 a.m.
The 32nd annual Kailua-Kona Community Christmas Parade is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 10, starting at 5 p.m. It will begin at Kona’s Kekuaokalani Gymnasium next to Kona Aquatics Center. From there, it will proceed south on Kuakini Highway, down Palani Road, and along Alii Drive to Walua Road, just past Coconut Grove Marketplace.
The parade theme this year is “Hawaiian Style Christmas!” There will be approximately 65 entries in the parade, including community and corporate groups. There will be numerous musical entries, more than half of which will beautifully light up the evening. They will include HELCO’s Toys For Tots Train and, of course, Santa and his reindeer.
The Kailua-Kona Community Christmas Parade will once again support of Hawaii Island’s Food Basket, and parade entrants and attendees are encouraged to contribute what they can to the 5th Annual Menehune Holiday Food Drive.
What better time of the year to give back a little something to help those who are struggling every day to feed their families here on the Big Island? We’ll be collecting donations at many of the west side food markets on the day of the parade from Captain Cook to Waimea, as well as during the parade when The Food Basket entry passes by.
Applications and additional parade and food drive information is available online at www.paradesinkona.com or by calling Chauna Reese at 313-0025.