Old, new celebrate community at Easter Parade

With temperatures at some of their finest all year, businesses, local nonprofits and other residents will hit the streets this Saturday for the 32nd annual Kiwanis Ahwatukee Easter Parade and Spring Fling.

The hour-long parade, which starts at the intersection of 48th Street and Warner Road at 10 a.m., features roughly 75 entries this year. Trophies for best of show and a half-dozen other categories will be awarded by the judges at 1 p.m.

Freeway Chevrolet has stepped forward to become the grand sponsor for the event, thrilling parade boss Mike Schmitt, who said the contributions of Freeway Chevrolet and other businesses should help raise more money for youth programs than ever before.

"The (Kiwanis) Club has always done OK but this year we will be able to have more money to do more events for children," Schmitt said.

The parade raised more than $7,000 in 2007 for Kiwanis youth programs.

Cars from Freeway Chevrolet will be leading off the parade and several more will be on display at the Ahwatukee Community Center Park, at 48th Street and Warner Road, where Spring Fling festivities will kick off at 11 a.m.

The parade this year turns once again to a news anchor to serve as Grand Marshal as NBC affiliate Channel 12 co-anchor and Ahwatukee Foothills resident Scott Light will serve in that capacity. Last year's anchor was fellow news reporter Stephanie Sandoval, of ABC15, while past marshals have included other news anchors and even Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon.

The parade has some new entries such as Democrats and Republicans running for office filling out some of the floats and some old standbys such as Mountain View Lutheran Church, which has entered in the parade for each of the 32 years of its existence.

However, the parade only kicks off the fun as the Spring Fling, which lasts from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., will host a number of activities for families, including carnival games, face painting and food and drink vendors selling their goodies.

For Schmitt, this parade and festival has become an event that has seen generations grow up and now participate in it with their children or even grandchildren.

"The interest has not waned," he said. "We're getting new entries every year."