Parade pays tribute to fire department

The Fallon Lions Club 64th Labor Day parade is Monday, and the parade will honor those who are at the front lines of most incidents, the Fallon/Churchill Volunteer Fire Department.

Tom Lammel, co-organizer of the parade, said since it is the 100 birthday of the fire department, the Fallon Lions will be honoring the volunteers at the parade. He said the parade starts at 10 a.m. at the northwest corner of the Old High School and travels to Williams Avenue up to Homestead and the American Legion and then down Maine Street to end in front of the Old High School. Lammel said the parade route closes at 8 a.m. and line up starts at 7:30 a.m.

Leading this year’s parade as grand marshal is retired Nevada State Sen. Mike McGinness, who was a school board trustee for Churchill County School District from 1984-88.

“Sen. Mike McGinness was chosen to be the grand marshal because he’s done a lot for Fallon,” Lammel said. “He has been on several boards within Fallon and has done a great job to improved where we live.”

Lammel said MeGinness is also one of the owners for KVLV Radio.

As for the parade, Lammel said participants can enter as many vehicles and walkers as they would like. Among the groups participating are the youth and sports team of Churchill County, Churchill Community Theatre and several old cars and tractors, to name a few.

Lammel said Gov. Brian Sandoval and Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki will be present at the Kiwanis breakfast before the parade starts and then will be riding in a car on the parade route. He said Mayor Ken Tedford Jr. will also be present at both events.

Like most events taking place in Nevada this year, the Labor Day parade will also be celebrating Nevada’s sesquicentennial.

Lammel said the parade is the longest held tradition in Churchill County and one that everyone is very proud of and enjoys.

“We will have 70-80 entries this year,” Lammel said. “Even though we’ll have 70-80 entries people are allowed to enter as many vehicles or floats as they want so by the end of the parade there will be at least 150 floats that have gone down the parade route.”

There will be eight announcer booths that cover the length of the parade route, and each announcer will introduce each entry.

“This parade draws in a large crowd of people, probably somewhere into the thousands,” Lammel said. “We’re expecting a good turn out this year; it’s a great parade.”