Lions helping community celebrate Fourth

SANDPOINT — If you love parades, you're in for a treat.

Well, actually, a pair of treats as the Sandpoint Lions help the community celebrate America's birth with not one, but two parade.

First up is the Kids Parade at 9 a.m. where area youngsters take center stage on bicycles, electric toy cars and skateboards — all decorated with everything from red, white and blue-crepe paper and ribbons to balloons and wind-mill toys.

Then at 10 a.m., it's time for the Grand Parade. Local law enforcement lead off the parade, with a "whirp, whirp" of the sirens and flashing lights, followed by a color guard and floats paying tribute to the nation's servicemen and women.

Then come the floats — from local youth groups to fully loaded log trucks to service groups performing routines and the local animal alliance bringing along a few four-legged friends— this parade has it all.

At dusk, instead of setting off fireworks at home, head on over to City Beach and watch the Sandpoint Lions' Fourth of July fireworks show.

Today, generous donations stand at $12,425 and Lions Club members will be accepting donations at the registration table, corner of Fifth and Church, and at City Beach, from 1 p.m. to dusk, where they will be giving away ice cream and special T-shirts to the first 150 people making a donation of $20 or more.

While the club has the funds to cover the costs of the parades, celebration, and fireworks show, they're looking to make them bigger and better than ever.

And that's where you come in. Please consider donating to the show and make this a safe and memorable Fourth of July for everyone.

It's all part of the club's efforts to make this Fourth of July celebration one of the best yet — and to celebrate the community which they love.

This year, the theme for Fourth of July parades is "It Takes a Community" and the event will showcase the many local businesses which impacted by the pandemic, and celebrate the community and all residents, Lions Club officials said.

Applications are being accepted for the Grand Parade, and will be until the morning of the parade.

The children’s parade will start at 9 a.m., and the Grand Parade will begin at 10 a.m.

Although overall fundraising for this year is limited due to the short turnaround time, Lions Club officials held a raffle in 2019 to pay for 2020 fireworks, which were then run by Sandpoint Independence Day, Inc. instead.

Those funds, in addition to community donations, will be used for the Fourth of July events.

Those who wish to contribute to the July 4 fundraising can do so by clicking the donation link on the Lion’s Facebook page or dropping off donations at the Daily Bee, 310 Church St.