West Seattle Grand Parade 2013 updates: Grand Marshal, Rummel Award winners; Hi-Yu request

Three updates today as the 2013 West Seattle Grand Parade, presented by American Legion Post 160, gets closer (11 am Saturday, July 20th). First, parade coordinators have announced the two community honorees who will lead the parade:

ANN ADKINS CHOSEN AS GRAND MARSHAL: Generations of swimmers at the West Seattle Y (longtime WSB sponsor) know Ann, who just retired after a very long run as its aquatics director, according to Josh Sutton from the Y:

During her almost forty years, tens of thousands of kids in West Seattle learned to swim and be safe around the water, thousands of seniors engaged in water exercise classes that kept them healthy and active, and hundreds of youth competed on the Y swim team, took lifeguarding classes and started their first job under Ann’s tutelage.

Throughout, Ann has been an indefatigable leader, working within the community, the Y and with other organizations like the Arthritis Foundation and the Red Cross to ensure highly trained staff and volunteers leading high-quality programs at the Y. She does this quietly and without much need for fanfare. In addition, Ann and her husband Ron have lived in West Seattle since the 1970’s, raised their kids and grandkids, just west of the Junction.

We are so happy that Ann has been chosen as the Grand Marshal, and Y staff & volunteers look forward to celebrating with her as we walk the parade route this year!

JUDY PICKENS RECEIVES RUMMEL TROPHY: The Orville Rummel Award for Outstanding Service to the Community (named after the parade’s founder and explained in this 2010 WSB report) goes to Judy Pickens:

Judy’s decades of community service and advocacy have included a longrunning project bringing together education and environmental stewardship – Salmon in the Classroom, working with hundreds of local students and teachers every year (despite government budget cuts for program support) to raise salmon fry at schools, later released into Fauntleroy Creek, where Judy has long been a watershed steward, which in turn involves many other types of volunteer work. The other side of the salmon lifecycle sees her gathering volunteers to watch for returning spawners in the fall, after a popular annual drumming event at the creek overlook to call them home. Judy also currently edits the Fauntleroy Community Association newsletter, which is a beefy look at community news, the type that many community councils used to produce but seldom do any more.

Congratulations to Ann and Judy, who will be officially honored pre-parade during the West Seattle Hi-Yu Concert in the Park two weeks from tonight – 7 pm Tuesday, July 16th — on the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center.

Speaking of Hi-Yu:

HI-YU SEEKING JUNIOR COURT ‘ALUMS’ FOR PARADE: That’s this year’s West Seattle Hi-Yu Summer Festival float, peering into the “Alki Deep.” In this year’s Grand Parade, a special group will march, according to this announcement Diane Szender asked us to share:

**** Calling all Past Hi-Yu Junior Court members ****

Come join in the tradition of carrying the Hi-Yu Banner and the Business Sponsor banner in front of the float during the West Seattle American Legion parade on Saturday, July 20th at 11 am. We’d love to have you participate in Hi-Yu reds and white, wearing your tiaras and Hi-Yu sashes. If you’d like to join in, please call 206 932-1704 for more details.

More parade previews in the days ahead! It starts at 11 am July 20th from California/Lander in the Admiral District, proceeding down California to SW Edmunds in The Junction (see the route on the parade website) – following the second annual West Seattle Float Dodger 5K. The parade also continues to welcome donations to help defray the costs of permits and signage.

9 Replies to "West Seattle Grand Parade 2013 updates: Grand Marshal, Rummel Award winners; Hi-Yu request"

  • MB July 2, 2013 (2:35 pm)

    Woohoo! Congrats, Ann!

  • Doug July 2, 2013 (3:24 pm)

    I’ve known Ann Adkins for nearly 27 years, and worked with her for almost as many. You couldn’t have picked a better Grand Marshal for our Hi-Yu Parade. She represents what is good, decent and thoughtful in our community.
    Congratulations Ann!

  • Delridge Believer July 2, 2013 (3:31 pm)

    Great choice. Congrats!

  • Kjb July 2, 2013 (3:36 pm)

    Super cool!

  • M Slye July 2, 2013 (4:37 pm)

    Congrats Ann! You rock!

  • fiz July 2, 2013 (6:08 pm)

    Ann Admins is everything good and right in this world. Can’t think of a better role model to lead our community parade. I’ve appreciated and admired her and Ron for forty years.

  • Wendy July 2, 2013 (7:58 pm)

    Ann is a perfect choice for Grand Marshall of the parade. She has been a role model for 2 generations of West Seattle Y members. I would guess that hundreds of kids (and parents) that she has taught to swim will be watching from the sidewalk!

  • WS Dad July 2, 2013 (8:26 pm)

    Ann Adkins is a great choice to represent our community!

  • Silly Goose July 2, 2013 (10:18 pm)

    This is wonderful my daughter took swim lessons from her 11 years ago, what an amazing person Ann is so happy you have recognized her dedication to our children. GO ANN!!

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