BANGOR, Maine — Rescheduling the Bangor Rotary Club’s annual Festival of Lights parade is “unfortunately, not a viable option” club officials said in a statement issued Sunday, citing scheduling difficulties with the hundreds of participants.
One group, the Getchell Agency, decided to turn the bad news into something good — a food collection site for the city’s most needy.
“Their parade float, designed and constructed by Getchell Agency staffers, who labored on it for a week, was — and is — impressive,” staff member Bea DesChamps said in an email. “So after some brief brainstorming, agency CEO Rena Getchell concluded the initial setback presented an opportunity and designated the float … as a collection site for donations for the Bangor Area Shelter for the Homeless. Shelter personnel have indicated their need is particularly great this time of year.”
The Getchell Agency’s “Spirit of Giving Float” will be at the Broadway Shopping Center in Bangor from noon to 3 Sunday. It will be parked opposite the Getchell Agency headquarters 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday at 1221 Broadway.
The Getchell Agency oversees two-occupant residences for 63 developmentally disabled adults, who were “sorely disappointed” in the parade cancellation.
“This was to be the first year for them to participate in the holiday parade,” DesChamps said.
That disappointment has been changed into a rewarding venture for the group with the food drive incorporating their holiday float, she said.
The holiday tree lighting, originally scheduled for after the parade, was rescheduled for after sunset on Dec. 10, according to Bangor police but the specific time was not available on Sunday.
Rotary Club officials have received an onslaught of questions by disappointed parade-goers about why the parade, which was canceled because of inclement weather, wasn’t rescheduled.
“Some people are asking why the parade cannot be rescheduled,” the email from the Rotary Club states. “This was also discussed at length but, as one might imagine, the logistics behind planning an event of this magnitude do not happen overnight (hence the months-long planning previously mentioned), and given everyone’s schedules during this busy season, rescheduling is not viable, much as we wish it could be.
“Please believe us when we say that the decision to cancel was not made in haste and was not made without great consideration by both club officers and city officials,” the email states. “Our members are as disappointed as everyone else in having to make this decision, but we [felt] it is the right thing to do.
“Several bands and participants had contacted us throughout the day on Friday stating that they were pulling out of the parade due to possible treacherous conditions, so we were not alone in our concern,” the email states.