Santa is not the only one getting ready for the holidays. Members of Sincerity Lodge 430 are hard at work pulling together Gray’s Christmas Parade that is only a couple of weeks away.
Applications are being taken for entries for the parade that will take place Tuesday, Dec. 10, with a rain date of Thursday, Dec. 12. The theme of the 2024 parade is a “Jones County Country Christmas,” and more than 60 entries have already been received.
The parade begins at 7 p.m. from the parking lot of Ingles Supermarket, where parade entries have lined up since the first event more than 20 years ago. That fact is even more significant this year due to the selection of the grand marshals.
The Masons took over the parade last year and appear to be having a great time doing it.
Applications for entries can be accomplished via email at graychristmasparade@gmail.com or through the mail at Sincerity Lodge 430, P.O. Box. 430, Gray 31032.
Britt Martin is the chairman of the parade committee and can be reached for more information at 478-737-7980.
Brian Wall is the lodge chaplain and was instrumental in the selection of this year’s parade grand marshals, Ingles Manager Joe Partenza and Assistant Manager Rhonda Hart.
Wall said choosing Partenza and Hart as grand marshals was because of their continued involvement within Gray and Jones County and their service to the community that always goes above and beyond.
“It’s about their grassroots efforts to help local organizations with their needs. Being on the corner, the parking lot gets hammered,” Wall said. “With all the groups they accommodate, it’s a no brainer. We want to recognize what these people stand for in our community.”
Wall said Sincerity Lodge 430 celebrated its 125th Anniversary this year. He said Partenza was aware of the event and what the Masons do for the community and offered to help.
“Everything we do to raise money is to put that money back into the community,” Wall said.
He said lodge members are currently working on ways to help the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in Jones County.
Ingles has accommodated the parade lineup since the event was created by the Gray Jaycees in 2001 to commemorate the organization’s 10th anniversary.
The Jaycees continued the parade until asking the Masons to take it over last year.
Wall said, when the Masons were given the opportunity to take over the parade, it was an easy decision.
“It’s a lot of work in short order. We had a great parade last year and we want to continue to build on that.”
