BRINNON — In this South County town, the Loyalty Day celebration is a rite of spring.
“This is a big deal here,” said Joy Baisch, who has lived in Brinnon for 23 years.
“Everyone comes out, young and old, and it gives us a chance to see that we’ve all made it safely through the winter.”
About 300 people turned out Friday on a day that began gloomy but segued into bright sunshine by the time the parade — the 26th annual — started at 1 p.m.
“Sometimes we have cloudy days, but the sun always comes out when the parade starts,” said master of ceremonies John Dowd, commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10706 in Brinnon.
About 30 entries — including schoolchildren, veterans, community groups, politicians, forest rangers and firefighters — marched in the 10-minute parade from the Brinnon Booster Club on Corey Lane to Johnston Realty on Brinnon Lane.
“This is a small town, but more people show up for parades here than in larger places,” Dowd said.
“A lot of loyal Americans live here.”
The ceremony included a presentation of awards from the VFW post and the Ladies Auxiliary, which hosted the parade.
Honors went to Nichole Norris, citizen of the year; Clarissy Nydigger, firefighter of the year; Ester Johnson, emergency medical technician of the year; and Adam Newman, law enforcement officer of the year.
The Brinnon Booster Club received the Patriotic Award.
The post-parade ceremony featured music from Kendra and James, as well as patriotic songs and messages.
A luncheon was served by members of the VFW Ladies Auxiliary at the Brinnon Booster Club.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars created the national Loyalty Day in 1921 to show patriotism and love of country.
In 1958, Congress made Loyalty Day a permanent fixture.
It is observed nationwide May 1, with the Brinnon parade being the last Friday in April.
“Thank you for making this another great loyalty day celebration,” Dowd said.
“May God keep our men and women in uniform safe and their families strong.”
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
