Kids celebrate America
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 11 years, 7 months AGO
<p>Elsa Laker, 4, of Coeur d'Alene rode on a homemade float and dressed up as Betsy Ross for the parade, in this 2013 file photo.</p>
<p>Bobby Provost, 8, and sister Janie Provost, 10, both of Coeur d'Alene, provided music from a boom box strapped to their toy car.</p>
<p>Michael Koep Jr., 4, of Coeur d'Alene rode in a Star Wars Landspeeder float. He was dressed as Luke Skywalker, and was pushed along the parade route by parents Michael and Lisa Koep.</p>
<p>From left, Scarlett Green, 3, joins her sister, Sophia, 5, in pulling their pet entry Iron Chicken down the parade route. The Dalton Gardens sisters scored third place with their entry.</p>
COEUR d'ALENE - The city of Coeur d'Alene Recreation Department estimates that almost 1,000 people participated in the annual Kiddie Parade on Wednesday morning.
Recreation Superintendent Paula Austin said that the event has been a city tradition for at least the past 70 years, and it attracts more and more participants every year.
The parade started at 10 a.m. near the intersection of Ninth Street and Sherman Avenue. It finished about an hour later at Independence Point.
All the children participating this year received a ribbon, and some even won trophies for the best costume, best float, best pet entry and best wheels entry.
This year's theme was Ironman, and the traditional red, white and blue, Austin added.
All the parade entries were judged on originality, uniqueness and time and effort used in making the entry. Here are the results by category:
Floats:
* 1st place - IRONMAN - TEAM M & M - Sydney and Gabriel Gier of Libby, Mont., Tristan, Shannon & Kaitlyn Riplinger of Eugene, Ore., and Anna Graupman from Coeur d'Alene.
* 2nd place - Airplane Float - Nathan, Kyndell and Danielle Sablan from Coeur d'Alene.
* 3rd place - It takes a Gladiator to be an Ironman! - Conan Tapia and Reggie Moretz of Hayden.
Wheels:
* 1st place - Lash and Zane Laker of Coeur d'Alene
* 2nd place - Katie, Micah, May, and Asia Borges
* 3rd place - Michael Locke of Hayden and Alex Knoll of Post Falls
Costumes:
* 1st place - Chloe and Chet Hanna - Coeur d'Alene
* 2nd place - Macey Lewis of Coeur d'Alene
* 3rd place - Mountain States Early Head Start of Coeur d'Alene
* 1st place - Whistle Stop 4-H - Post Falls
* 2nd place - Izi Fields with "Sweety & Rolly Poly"
* 3rd place - Iron Chicken the Green Family of Dalton
