32nd Cape High homecoming parade Thursday
The tradition continues for Cape Coral High School students as they prepare for the 32nd Homecoming parade Thursday night at 7 on Southeast 47th Terrace.
Because of the fee charged by the city to hold the parade, there was fear that the parade might not go off as planned. But thanks to the generosity of residents, the necessary funds were raised to pay the fee.
Student government president and senior student Zohair Zaidi said each class designs a float for the parade, which has an overall theme of old cartoons this year.
He explained that the students decide on the overall theme of the parade at the end of the school year for the next year. The incoming sophomores, juniors and seniors share their ideas for possible themes, which are then voted on during another meeting. The incoming freshman class decides on the theme of their float at the beginning of the school year.
“We pick the themes at the end of the school year,” student government advisor Gloria Cross said, “so the students can contemplate their plans and gather their supplies.”
The supplies for the floats are all expensed by class members and donations.
Zaidi said they started to have meetings at the beginning of the school year to discuss the floats and begin building props.
The freshman class created a Snoopy float, sophomores created a Batman float, juniors designed a Flinestones float and the seniors designed a Scooby Doo float. Zaidi said it usually takes about two months to complete the floats.
The grand marshal, Beth Godwin, is a former student government advisor and a food prep teacher. Zaidi said they are honoring Godwin because she is retiring at the end of the year.
Zaidi said he enjoys seeing all the students come out to the parade “all hyped up” and “having a good time sitting around and watching the parade.”
He said the parade is a lot of fun because there is a tradition attached to it since the parade began when Cape first opened.
Cross said the parade builds spirt for the school and helps the students develop skills that they did not know they had.
“It’s a way for all of them to come together,” she said.
In addition to the four floats, the parade will also consist of 40 units, which includes clubs, teams, cheerleaders, administrators, football players and the homecoming court.
“I love the kids,” Cross said. “I love to see their creativity.”
She said she has an incredible group of officers who are very responsible people.
The parade will go east to west on Southeast 47th Terrace. It will begin on Southeast 15th Avenue and head towards Southeast 8th Avenue.
Cross said they will start the parade promptly at 7 p.m.
The parade typically attracts anywhere between 500 and 600 people.
Cross said the community helped the school raise $1,000 for barricades this year, so they could carry on their tradition of hosting the parade. The fee was paid to the city.
“They really came through for us,” she said.