The entire WYFCL was invited to march with their friends and team mates in the 2008 Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance's 2008 Christmas Parade.
135 players, cheerleaders, coaches and team moms signed up to walk in the event making the WYFCL the largest youth group in the parade for the 2nd year in a row. This is testament to the great parent and kid support that the league enjoys from all its families.
The Parade theme for 2008 was "Lil' Drummer Boy".
The WYFCL themed float was "Lil' Football Boy". The float featured our giant Hornet & giant football (from year's past), 3 Green/Gold drums with 3 Lil' Drummers banging the Hornet beat throughout the parade. We had 10 future Hornets riding along in our vintage bright red pick-up truck, our snappily clad cheerleading unit up front leading the ensemble with cheers and smiles, and about 80 football players & coaches pulling up the rear marching, and giving shout-out Hornet Football Hollers along the way.
Many thanks to those who donated trailers, trucks, materials, time and effort, to decorate, assemble, house, and prepare our group for the parade ... especially to Coach Chuck Walker (Green Mighty Mites) for allowing us to utilize bay-space at his business, the Auto Clinic At Longhill ... for our set-up, storage, and take down of the float.
Here's some pictures from the event:
1) Marcos, Cooper & Sam are almost awake.
2) The float is a shining example of what can be accomplished when you put 3-guys in a garage with a case of adult-beverages, a glue-gun, and tinsel.
3) Green Mites Mickey & Guenner are ready for the parade.
4) Ar'Mon & Clayton are bundled up.
5) "Yes, Womeldorf, there is a naughty list".
6) Coach Gabe instructs Officer Schugeld how to safely manuever a bike, while ordering a pizza.
7) Coach Amy is getting the cheerleaders ready.
8) "Looks like we're almost ready to start."
9) Jessica & Abby practice their smiles.
10) The Gold Mites are all on hand with Coach Jason & Coach Doug.
11) 100+ players & coaches in Khackis ... 1 guy in jeans says he didn't get any of the 42 parade emails.
12) Coach Chris explains how it was his idea to put field turf on the float ... Coach John is unimpressed.
13) Green Mite, Zach Stallings, bangs out his Hornet beat on the parade float drums.
14) Gold Mite, Edward Robinson, practices his rhythmic skills on the parade float drums.
15) The whole group uses footballs to get the drums going.
16) Justin explains the parade route; Hunter, Alan, Clayton, Ar'Mon, Michael & Bryant listen in.
17) The future Hornets players & cheerleaders are bundled up riding in the back of Chuck's pick-up.
18) Cooper, Jeffrey, Ar'Mon and Bryant get into a tickle-fight ... a very important pre-parade drill.
19) Coach Scott (Green Mighty Mites) and Coach Bud (Gold Mighty Mites) in their parade get-ups.
20) Marcos' sister is ready for a cold winter's parade ride in the pick-up truck bed.
21) Finally we're underway ... cheerleaders leading in the front.
22) And a ton of Hornets and Coaches pulling up the back end.