Kids running, kids waving, kids dancing and kids getting crowned, it's all in a day's effort for the Junior Edison Festival of Light celebration.
The younger celebration of all things Edison got started in earnest in 1946, according to Diane Maddox, the formerparade chairwoman who insists she is retiring but remains the heart and soulof the annual Edison Festival of Light Junior Parade.
"I was in the first one in 1946," Maddox said as she waited to judge the junior king and queen selections Sunday at the Sidney and Berne Davis Art Center. "My mom told me it was the first."
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While the parade itself is more spectacular with 74 units made up of floats, marching bands, dancers, street performers, clowns and dignitaries paradingaround the downtown River District, it's the Junior Fun Run that gets the emotions going.
Open to children in grades five and below, the Fun Run gives the kids a chance to compete and parents a chance to cheer, many hoping their erstwhile runners turn into lifelong marathonersor joggers.
Matt Booth, of Fort Myers, was trotting behind his son Ian, 3, before the races started running up and down First Street.
"He loves being active," Booth said. "This is a great event to come out and have some fun."
When asked if he liked to run, Ian, ever the strong, silent type, would only exclaim "Yeah!"
Overseen by theFort Myers Track Club and announced by Ted "Voice of the Junior Fun Run" Fitzgeorge, the Fun Run exudes energy.
Rakem "The Dream" Holloway Jr., 7, and his sister Jahzara "Gracie" Holloway, have run for a couple of years.
The children of Rakem Holloway and Maya Outten, seem to thrive at the event.
"It's fun competing against people," the younger Rakem said before scooting off with the other first- and second-graders.
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His sister was confident, the older Rakem said.
"She told me this morning, 'I'm going to win because I have muscles, I have abs and I'm fast'," he said.
It's not just the kids, about 300 strong,and their parents who enjoy the moment.
Fitzgeorge has been the Fun Run announcer for years and relishes the job.
"I love doing this," he said, as he cracked jokes and roasted dignitaries in the crowd. "It keeps me young and the folks are great."
But it's the Junior Parade, a smaller version of the Grand Parade, that draws the crowd to downtown.
Well before the 2:30 p.m. start time, people set up chairs along the parade route, settled in to begin the wait.
Meanwhile, over at Centennial Park, parade marchers started getting organized to step off.
The Bright Beginnings Early school group, always a favorite with its chain of wagons, was busy getting coordinated.
With kids 5and younger sitting in the little red wagons, this year with acircus theme, the supervising moms said they have a method to keep their charges in check.
"Once they get going they get snacks," Hannah Ross said. "And they like to wave."
Erica Pica, 23, a teacher now at Bright Beginnings, was once one of those kids in a wagon—20 years ago — and is relegated to walking now.
What does she remember?
"It was hot," she said with alaugh.
A generational flair imbued the Wright-Davis family's "You've Goat Mail" float.
The family's corps of pygmy goats helped enliven their float with grandmother, daughter, and granddaughter keeping things in the family.
"They love it,' grandmother Lisa Wright, 61, who took part in the parade as a child, said about her granddaughters Baylie and Braelyn. "They didn't have to be in it, but they wanted to."
Braelyn, 9, said she enjoys taking part as well. "We get to bring the goats out and let the people see them," she said.
Marching in the parade for the first time was the Sparkle All-Stars and the Sunshine Elementary cheer squad, both directed by Nicole Davis.
"We're also going to be in the grand parade," the dance instructor said. "We want to bring something different to the community. We see a lot of negativity and we want to make a positive impact on the community."
Rounding out the Junior Festival events wasthe coronation of the king and queen. For this year's coronation "Andrew Mitchell of the house Bechdel" and "Annabell Olivia of the house VanHorn" were crownedking and queen.
"It feels good," Andrew said. "I didn't expected it." His counterpart, Annabell, was a bit more surprised.
The new queen, though, concluded that during her year as the new royal monarch she would "rule the world."
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The Junior Parade winners
Walking/Non-performers
1. St. Francis Xavier Catholic School; 2. Tri-County Challenger Baseball District 18; Honorable mention, Holistic Homeschoolers of SWFL.
Walking/Performers
1. Sunshine Elementary SChool Cheer & Sparkle Elite; 2. Cheerleading Gym, Midwest Cheer Elite-Florida
Walking/Individuals & Families
1. The White family
Strollers
1. Youngblood family; honorable mention, KEarns family.
Wagons
1. tied - Young Family, Garcia Family, Capo/Royal family; 2. Hartman family; honorable mention, Wright/Davis family.
Multiple wagons
Most outstanding: Bright Beginnings Early School; 1. Evangelical Christian School.
Manually pulled floats
1. Tied - Spring family, Neubert/Underhill/Younger/Jolliff families; honorable mention, Mr. Edison's Sails Team, Edison Sailing Center.
Amateur floats/motorized
1. Trolling through Edisonia, Greenberg/Eaton/Murnane/Molloy families; 2,. SS Edisonia, Gates family.
Civic/nonprofit/school floats
1. Academy Fiddlers, North Fort Myers Academy of the Arts; 2. Stars Complex Majorettes Dance Team, City of Fort Myers Stars Complex; honorable mention, Lee County Drill Team.
Band
Most outstanding, Mario & Luigi in Edisonia, Bayshore Elementary; 1. Harns Marsh Middle School; 2. Canterbury Cougars, Canterbury School; honorable mention, Florida Southern Gulf Chapter American Red Cross.
AmateurFloats/Commercial
1. Georgetown's Future Heroes-Following Edison's Footsteps, Family Thrift Center; 2. Drifting Through Edisonia, Lee Dental Care.
