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Engines revving up for 2 holiday parades
By SHEILA MULLANE ESTRADA © St. Petersburg Times, published November 19, 2000 PINELLAS PARK -- On Dec. 3, the throaty roar of more than 1,000 motorcycles will assault the senses in south Pinellas County. And the 45 minutes required for the 3-mile parade to pass surely will test commuters' patience. Remember it's for a good cause. The annual Jim Rosenkrans' Memorial Toys-For-Tots Run, including Santa Claus on a Lealman firetruck this year, will invade 16 municipalities to try to raise $10,000 and gather a large number of toys and canned goods for needy families. The motorcycle caravan is the first of two seasonal traditions in the area. A week later, Pinellas Park's annual Holiday Night Parade is expected to draw more than 100 units and thousands of spectators along the Park Boulevard route between 58th Street and ParkSide mall. Last year, motorcyclists came from Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, Manatee and Sarasota counties and as far away as Jacksonville, according to Jamie Rosenkrans, owner of Jim's H-D Motorcycle Shop. Cross-traffic will be halted at key intersections along the parade route. Local police departments and Pinellas and Hillsborough sheriff's office motorcycle patrols will provide an escort. The parade will begin at Jim's H-D, 2805 54th Ave. N, at 10:30 a.m. Dec. 3. Averaging about 25 mph, the motorcycles are expected to turn up U.S. 19 to West Bay Drive in Largo, go west to Gulf Boulevard in Belleair Shore, then down the beaches as far as Pass-A-Grille, come back up Gulf Boulevard to the Corey Causeway and Pasadena Avenue, turn east on Gulfport Boulevard to 34th Street S, turn north to First Avenue N and then east to The Pier and Bayfront Center, returning to the motorcycle shop via Fifth Avenue N, 16th Street and 54th Avenue N. Each rider is asked to donate $10 or a toy that will be given to needy families. The money, toys and food collected will be turned over to four public schools (Skyview, Woodlawn, Sexton, and 74th Street elementaries) and the Lealman Family Center. "It's really nice to see people come out to support needy families," said Jamie Rosenkrans. Almost $10,000 was raised last year, she said, in addition to a large number of toys and four truckloads of canned food. The parade was started in 1979 by her late husband, Jim. When he died 13 years ago, the parade was renamed in his honor. The Pinellas Park Holiday Night Parade is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Dec. 9. When the parade arrives at ParkSide, at Park Boulevard and U.S. 19, the event will continue inside the mall with music and bands beginning at about 8 p.m. Tim Marcum, head coach for the Tampa Bay Storm Arena League football team, will serve as grand marshal. Cross streets along the Park Boulevard parade route will be closed to traffic. Eastbound traffic will be redirected to 70th and 78th avenues. Westbound lanes along Park will not be closed, but are expected to be congested during the parade hours. Parade participants will include many area school bands, a horseback contingent, a large number of professional floats, and two special guests: Helen Howarth, a longtime community activist, and Bill Holmes, a city police officer recently honored by Gov. Jeb Bush for his efforts in dealing with domestic violence.
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From the Times South Pinellas desks |
