It’s on! Community rallies to save Hilo Christmas parade

The streets of downtown Hilo will be filled with Christmas cheer again this year after residents, businesses and community groups rallied to save its annual parade.

The Hilo Christmas Light Parade will start at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28, near the King Kamehameha the Great statue, said Lani Walters, who helped spearhead the effort to save the holiday event.

The celebration was all but lost as of a few weeks ago following the disbandment of Lehua Jaycees, which had previously organized the parade.

With the help of former Jaycees members and others, Walters said they have been able to raise the $6,000 needed to host the parade and have received more than 40 verbal commitments from participants.

“We’ve hit our mark,” she said.

“I have to say we have a great community to pull something like this together.”

Walters, a co-director of Tropical Island Beauty Pageants, which participated in previous parades, said she grew up downtown helping her parents with their business and remembers the parade fondly from her childhood.

This will be the parade’s 30th year.

“The Hilo parade is a part of everyone,” she said.

About 10 people are helping on a day-to-day basis, Walters said.

Roughly half of the donations came from businesses and other groups, with the rest contributed by the mayor’s office, she said.

“If there are any extra funds, we are going to push it to next year’s parade,” Walters said.

The parade follows Pauahi Street, Kilauea Avenue, Keawe Street, Waianuenue Avenue and Kamehameha Avenue.

Check-in begins at 4:30 p.m. at Bayside Chevron.

Judges will be located at the Central Pacific Bank balcony.

Sponsors include www.inbigisland.com and Shigehara Plumbing.

To contribute or participate, contact Walters at 960-0039 or hilochristmasparade @gmail.com.

Email Tom Callis at tcallis@hawaiitribune-herald.com.