St. Charles Christmas Parade winners
From the nearly 80 entries in the Downtown St. Charles Partnership's annual Electric Christmas Parade, a panel of independent judges have determined the top three winners in each of three categories: children's, nonprofit, and business.
"The judging seems to get more difficult each year," says Darlene Riebe, a volunteer with the Downtown St. Charles Partnership who coordinates the judging process. "Everyone really gets into the spirit of the event, and each year we see more organizations and businesses creating really outstanding entries.
"The point totals were extremely close this year; for example, in the Children's division, only four points separated the first place winner from fifth place."
Riebe explains that a panel of three judges use a five-point system to rate the parade entries on originality, their use of lights, and creativity.
The winners in the children's category for 2008 are: Anderson Elementary School, first place; Cub Pack 151, second place; and Cub Pack 146, third place.
The winners in the not-for-profit category for 2008 are: Fox River Estates, first place; Chicago Corvette Club, second place; and Life Church, third place.
The winners in the business category for 2008 are: Thunderbolt Roofing, first place; Kettley Realtors, second place; and Examiner Newspapers, third place.
Deanna Chrones, communications coordinator for the Downtown St. Charles Partnership, also notes that the parade organizers encouraged entrants to add holiday music to their floats. It was an addition that received considerable favorable comment from numerous parade watchers.
"The whole idea of this event," said Chrones, "is to bring the community together for a fun and memorable holiday evening and to showcase St. Charles' beautiful downtown district and its many exciting businesses.
All nine winners have been invited to a special awards presentation before city council in January.
In addition to presenting special events such as the Lighting of the Lights, Electric Christmas Parade, Sister's Weekend, and the St. Charles Fine Art Show, the organization's volunteers and committees are active in business retention and recruitment, educational sessions for business owners, working to ensure the design and architectural integrity of buildings within the district, and working with city staff on riverfront improvements, such as the new riverwalk. For information about volunteer opportunities, or how to join, visit www.dtown.org, or call Deb Pfaff, membership/ volunteer coordinator, at (630) 513-5386, ext. 1.