PHOTO BY CORINNA SPINALE
From left, Officer Candace Doyle, Toys for Local Children chair Cathy Kalpin, and Officer Mike Bowden were surrounded by a record number of toys donated to TLC.
By ADAM SWIFT
SWAMPSCOTT — The stockings were hung on the trolleys with care, with hopes that brightly lit Jeeps from across the North Shore would soon be there.
It was another festive annual Swampscott Holiday Parade Saturday evening, as floats, music, and yes, police and fire vehicles, and those decorated, illuminated Jeeps from across the region added to the spirit of the season.
The annual event is hosted by the Swampscott Police Association.
“The police department has been a big supporter of this,” said Abby Rogers of Toys for Local Children. She said there is still time for anyone who is interested to drop off toys at the schools or the police station to help bring a little joy to local kids in need.
Members of Toys for Local Children put the last minute touches on their float before stepping off from the Swampscott High School parking lot shortly before 5:30 p.m. The local group has been collecting toys for kids in need at the Swampscott schools, as well as at the Johnson Elementary School in Nahant.
Swampscott Police Detective Ted Delano said it was probably the biggest parade the town has ever seen, “There must have been thousands of people on the streets,” he said. Ninety percent of the Swampscott Police Department volunteered their time for the event and Delano wanted to send his thanks to the officers and the community for the turnout and support.
While the Swampscott police and fire departments understandably had a big presence during the parade, several other nearby departments took part, including the Salem Police Department with its mobile incident vehicle.
“We were asked to take part, and we were happy to with the biggest behemoth we have in our fleet,” said Salem Police Captain Conrad Prosniewski.
Prosniewski might be an old hand at taking part in parades across the North Shore, but for the Swampscott Titans cheerleading squad, taking part in a holiday parade was a first-time experience for many of them.
“I’m looking forward to being on the float with the other cheerleaders,” said squad member Christie Spillane.
“We really want to support the local community,” said Ed Nolan of the Wicked Jeeps Massachusetts chapter. Nolan said the organization has 44 chapters across the country with a goal of having fun and supporting worthy causes. “We do a lot of toy drives, and we are trying to make the community a better place. We were asked by Swampscott to take part this year, and I think we have 33 Jeeps here.”
The nearly three dozen Jeeps did make for an impressive display as holiday tunes rang out from the back of several floats and trolleys that made their way along the parade route. In addition to lights of every color, many of the popular off-road vehicles saw a potpourri of Santas, snowmen, and reindeer peeking from the sunroofs.
Following the parade, the fun didn’t stop, as the Recreation Department hosted music and family events on the Town Hall lawn.