Last month my Dad told my brother Steven and I what he wanted for Father's Day, and that he didn't want anything else; He wanted us to get our Ham radio licenses. (Of course I already bought his gift, which was a vintage looking Captain America comic themed lunch box.) When I was a kid I wanted a license, but back then you had to learn morse code; no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't learn it. A few years ago this requirement changed. My Dad wanted us to get the license so we can help at events. The local ARES group works the parades, races, and events so everyone can practice communication, so that during an emergency our Ham radios can be used to help with communication. The ARES and RACES groups proved that all this training they do isn't in vain when they volunteered their time during the fires this past Summer. I was given the opportunity to help with the Spanish Fork Parade and practice my ham radio skills. Back to the parade!
The group below set the pace of the Spanish Fork Fiesta Parade. They fired a loud cannon and then fired weapons, giving the kids next to me quite a shock.
Proof we're in Spanish Fork!!
More fun Parade entries I enjoyed.
All the Utah County Queens showed up for the festivities. Below, on my most favorite float in the parade, is Miss Pleasant Grove with her attendants. Also shown below is Miss Payson, Miss Nephi, and Miss Provo.
Below is Mater!! Unfortunately he broke down and I had the opportunity to make sure the lawn mower got off the street, and then report to Net Central what had happened.
Another huge task we had was keeping the kids safe. A lot of the groups throw candy to the kids, but the candy doesn't always make it to them, so the kids run into the street, which is dangerous. A year or two ago a boy ran to the middle of the road; thankfully the driver of the float noticed and stopped within 5 feet.
Me in my gear after the parade. It was awesome! Steven and my Dad helped find lost children in their sections. Unfortunately after the parade I found out that my sound mike was too close to my mouth which caused my voice to be muffled. I would have liked to know this sooner, but that's the point of these exercises. It's better to learn these problems during an event instead of during an emergency when lives are in danger.
Sarah
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