The Rotary Club of Coronado was honored to receive the coveted Andy Szymanski Sweepstakes Award and First Place in the 2017 Coronado Fourth of July Parade. This is the fourth consecutive year the Rotary float has been awarded this distinction.
The Rotary Club float features a distinct patriotic theme to help celebrate the Fourth of July, and to acknowledge the club’s support to military support groups, particularly combat-wounded warriors. To highlight this, the club hosts our modern-day patriots, the highly-ranked Wounded Warrior Wheelchair “Wolfpack” Basketball Team. The team is from the Warrior Foundation Freedom Station at Naval Medical Center San Diego. These Purple Heart battle-injured warriors thrilled the parade crowd with their show-time basketball prowess.
The float also represents Rotary’s major fundraisers in colorful banners that proudly display its 91 years of “Service above Self” to the Coronado, San Diego, military, and international communities. Volunteer community service projects such as Beach Cleanup, the annual Pancake Breakfast, Low Tide Ride & Stride, Golf Tournament, and Flags on the Avenue (189 flags placed along Orange Avenue for patriotic and national holidays) are highlighted with club members in costumes, banners, and announcements along the parade route.
This year, Coronado was introduced to the 2017 Rotary President Kevin Rugee, representing George Washington in keeping with the theme of honoring former American patriots.
Dr. John Pedrotty, Rotary’s Fourth of July Committee Chair, was ably assisted by Vice-Chair Ivan Dunn, and a very enthusiastic group of Rotarians including Karen and Paul Laedlein, Paul Courier, Past President Tom Mitchell, Don Panel, Bob Rutherford, President Kevin Rugee, Sandy Bower, Suzanne Manuel, Tom Edison, Robin MacCartee, Jenny and Richard Johnson, Pat and Lee Freeman, Karol McClellan, Rainier Trinidad, and Dan Orr. The Rotarians worked together to present the Coronado community with an inspiring and meaningful parade float. Special thanks also to Gail Pedrotty and Paul Little.
