Volunteers to lead Aurora parade
Several decades ago, Aurora residents Neal and Mary Clark Ormond met planning the city's Independence Day Parade. This year, they'll be leading it.
The longtime community leaders have been selected as Grand Marshals by the city's July Fourth Parade Board and were honored at Tuesday night's city council meeting.
"I think it's time someone like Neal is recognized for all his accomplishments all the great things he's done for the school district, the city and his neighbors," Fifth Ward Alderman John "Whitey" Peters said. "And I'm proud to be part of the school board that is recognizing him for all of those things too."
Neal, president of West Aurora School District 129 since 1996 has also served 42 seasons as a volunteer assistant varsity coach in several sports for both boys and girls. He also serves on the board of the Blackhawk Sports Boosters Club, a group he co-founded in 1970. Neal may best be known as the voice of the West Aurora Blackhawks for his radio and television play-by-play announcing of more than 1,700 West Aurora sporting events since 1964 on WMRO, WKKD, and WBIG radio as well as WLXT-Television.
Between 1952 and 2001, Neal has also served as manager and coach for numerous youth athletic teams in Aurora and has also volunteered at Holy Angels Catholic Church, Community Foundation for the Fox River Valley, University of Illinois Center for Human Resource Management, and other civic and charitable organizations.
Mary Clark Ormond said she shares her husband's dedication to the children served by School District 129 where she is a volunteer horticulturist and arborist for the district, overseeing and nurturing the planting of native trees and flower beds on various school properties. She also teaches gardening class at West Aurora High School and remains active in various west side PTA's.
Mary Clark also served as director of the Aurora Public Library in the 1970s and early '80s; and has volunteered in the Art and Environment programs at Holy Angels Church and Provena Fox Knoll Retirement Community.
"These people work so hard in so many different ways and when you realized when they were getting married (32 years ago) and continue to work on all they have done, it's incredible," Alderman at Large Robert O'Connor said.
The couple met during Mary's tenure at the library when she was responsible for organizing the July Fourth parade and needed help lining up sports teams to participate and a friend told her to call Neal.
"I did my due diligence and told her we should talk about it over dinner," Neal said. "As things worked out, I ended up being the sports coordinator and we did put on a great parade. It's going to be a thrill to be in parade after all these years."
Mary agreed.
"I cannot think of a better thing ever in your life to do than to ride in a Fourth of July parade like this," she said. "We consider it a great honor."
The Ormonds will lead the parade at Noon, on July 4. The parade will step off at the corner of Benton and River Streets in Downtown Aurora.