Veteran Bernard Bledsoe chosen as LaGrange Christmas Parade grand marshal

Published 12:00 am Friday, September 18, 2015

This year’s theme to be ‘Star Spangled Christmas’

Contributed report

Veteran Bernard Bledsoe stands with Santa Claus. Bledsoe has been chosen as this year’s grand marshal for the 39th annual LaGrange Christmas Parade on Dec. 3.

http://lagrangenews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/37/2015/09/web1_WEB0918Bernard1.jpgVeteran Bernard Bledsoe stands with Santa Claus. Bledsoe has been chosen as this year’s grand marshal for the 39th annual LaGrange Christmas Parade on Dec. 3.

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Veteran Bernard Bledsoe and Santa Claus stand with members of Marine Corps League PFC George Eiland Detachment 1040.

http://lagrangenews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/37/2015/09/web1_WEB0918Bernard2.jpgVeteran Bernard Bledsoe and Santa Claus stand with members of Marine Corps League PFC George Eiland Detachment 1040.

Submitted

LaGRANGE — Instead of the traditional red, white and green, look for more red, white and blue in the 39th annual LaGrange Christmas Parade on Dec. 3. The theme for this year’s parade will be “Star Spangled Christmas,” and Bernard Bledsoe will be honored as grand marshal.

Bledsoe, who is retired from Milliken & Company, serves with the Marine Corps League and is a longtime supporter of Toys for Tots. He will lead off the parade at 6 p.m. on Dec. 3, after Bledsoe and his family light the giant Christmas tree on Lafayette Plaza with Mayor Jim Thornton.

The parade is organized by the LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce, and volunteers from West Georgia Health will once again act as “parade elves” during the event.

For the second year in a row, the Budweiser Clydesdales will appear in the parade.

“Normally we do not get the Clydesdales two years in a row, but LaGrange Grocery won Anheuser-Busch’s highest award, Ambassador of Excellence, this year, so they are sending the Clydesdales here as part of the celebration,” said Al Zachry of LaGrange Grocery Company.

Parade participants will be asked to contribute an unwrapped Christmas toy in addition to the $35 registration fee. All toys will be given to local agencies to help make the holidays extra special for those in need.

Parade applications are available online at the Chamber’s website, www.lagrangechamber.com. Applications are due to the Chamber office by 5 p.m. Nov. 20.

For more information, contact the LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce at 706-884-8671 or letisha@lagrangechamber.com.

From a press release submitted by LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce.