Lockport Love’s annual parade Saturday featured carols, gifts and Santa – Shaw Local

Santa and a parade of volunteers bearing presents and vacation cheer stopped at a number of Lockport houses on Saturday.

The Lockport Love Vacation Reward Parade is an annual occasion of Lockport Love, a nonprofit charity the Lockport Police Division began in 2014, based on Bert Thompson, Lockport Love president.

Lockport Love fundraises and accepts donations all year long to assist Lockport households in want, Thompson stated

However throughout the vacation season, Lockport Love sponsors a number of households in want for Christmas presents Jodi Turnbough, Lockport Love secretary stated. Then, with a parade of emergency automobiles, Santa and roughly 50 volunteers delivered the presents to every recipient’s house, she stated.

“We sing Christmas carols after which Santa offers them the presents,” Turnbough stated.

On parade day, volunteers meet on the American Legion Publish 18 in Lockport at 8 a.m. for breakfast after which depart at 9 a.m., Turnbough stated.

“We’re only a small nonprofit of volunteers, native enterprise people, some legislation enforcement, the fireplace division, folks from the group; that’s how I acquired concerned,” Thompson stated. “All the cash stays proper right here within the city and helps your neighbors.”

Thompson stated the parade is a “particular time” for many households, though some households are embarrassed by the eye, he stated. However he he loves the awe on the youngsters’s faces when the parade reaches their houses.

“Simply to see the grins on their faces when the fireplace vehicles and the tow vehicles simply pull up is simply wonderful,” Thompson stated.

Thompson stated he began with Lockport Love because the liaison to the households and that Thompson and his spouse sponsored some households through the years, too. Then Thompson sat on the board and ultimately turned president, he stated.

“It’s been a terrific group for everyone,” Thompson stated. “No person makes any cash. No person takes a wage. When we’ve got fundraisers, one hundred pc goes again into the group. It a superb factor.”

Thompson stated Lockport Love has helped households the place a member has a terminal sickness” or a “very unhealthy medical drawback.” However generally households are going via job loss or a divorce, Turnbough stated.

“Some folks which are very sick, so we make their home fee for them or pay their medical payments simply to get them via this difficult time,” Turnbough stated and later added, “”Somebody known as the opposite day and requested if we might give her grandson a coat. He’s two and a half and doesn’t have a coat.”

And a few individuals are “simply down on their luck,” Thompson stated.

“It’s a humorous factor, however we by no means thought of what number of households we’ve helped,” Thompson stated. “We’re a small group of individuals. If you concentrate on it, we assist 5, 10, generally 20 households annually. Every household’s acquired three, 4 youngsters. Swiftly, it’s been eight years. We’ve most likely helped over 1,000 folks…it makes me really feel nice on the finish of the day.”

For extra info, go to lockportlove.com.