July 4th 2021 Strathmore Bel Pre Community Celebration!

This year’s July 4th celebration was a great success! It was exciting to see so many of our neighbors come out to enjoy our community’s second July 4thPatriotic Car parade.  As you know, last year was a first. We took the chance again.  Would we have a good turn-out again?  The answer was a resounding “Yes!”  According to several sources, we are pleased to report that a much larger number of neighbors –possibly several hundred -came out to wave and cheer our parade on. The local Fire Station Twenty-five’s firemen and emergency personnel were great, too!  Their enthusiasm was contagious!  You could hear their horns and sirens as they made their way throughout our community.  And, the cars following the fire truck added the celebration. 

Flag Ceremony

We are again grateful to our Troop 763 Scouts for an inspiring flag ceremony just before the start of the parade. Leaders included: JOEJENKINS, Troop Scoutmaster; JOE MOELLER, committee Chair for Troop 763; BILL TOTTEN, Cubmaster, Pack 763; SUSAN PLANO-FABER, Troop Leader; and JACKIE FARY-MOELLER and SHARON TOTTEN for their support.

Scouts: LUCAS MOELLER AND K.L. PLANO-FABER raised the flag.

The Patriotic Car Parade Leaders and Volunteers:

Captain CLINTON KRAFT’S team from Fire Station 25 led the parade.

The July 4th Celebration committee and those who helped were: DANIEL FLOYD, CHRIS JENNISON, BILLY RUPPERT, RITA VAUGHT, JOHN BOGASKY and JACKIE MOELLER. BILL and LILLA HAMMOND were the co-chairs.

Car Paraders included JOHN BOGASKY, JOHN BOGASKY, JR., ELLIOT CHABOT and CHRIS SWAN, JOE JENKINS, CHRIS and JO JENNISON, DANIEL FLOYD, SR. and DANIEL FLOYD, JR., BETH LEWIS, CRAIG MESSNER, SUSAN PLANO-FAVER, DAVIS TYNER, RITA VAUGHT and BILL and LILLA HAMMOND.

Awards for the Best Decorated Cars and the Winners

First Prize Award: BETH LEWIS received a $50 gift certificate from Pizza Stop (Plaza Del Mercado) and its owners, brothers ROD OO and LIN OO, who also live in our community.

Second Prize Award: SUSANPLANO-FAVER(troop leader) won the $30 gift from Sisters’ Sandwiches & Such (16834 Georgia Avenue in Olney) and its owners AJITH WELLAGE and RAVI ABEYNAYAKE.

Third Prize Award: CHRIS and JO JENNISON received a $20 gift card for a local restaurant.

A great big THANK YOU!! goes to our prize sponsors and all those who helped make our 2021 Strathmore Bel Pre July 4th Celebration such a patriotic and fun-filled event!

By Lilla Hammond