(La Porte, IN) - Two sisters are viewed by some people as Santa Claus saving Christmas by making it possible for La Porte to have a July 4^th parade this year.  However, Dawn and Joy Zigler don’t quite look at it that way.

 

The Ziglers were contacted by Mayor Tom Dermody when he learned the La Porte Jaycees would not host the parade this year because declining membership left the group too shorthanded to do all of the work involved in putting together and hosting the parade.  The Jaycees have hosted the parade since the late 1940’s.

 

The Kiwanis Club of La Porte is taking over as hosts of the parade for at least this year.  The Zigler’s were heavily involved in the parade when they were members of the Jaycees but they’re no longer eligible to be with the group since the Jaycees is for people 40 and under.

 

Joy Zigler said she and her sister agreed to provide the leadership necessary for putting together and hosting the parade for the Kiwanis Club.  She said there are plenty of elves involved in keeping alive the rich La Porte tradition.  “I don’t know if I would call us saviors.  It’s the support and teamwork of everyone else involved,” Zigler said.

 

Zigler said among the other people involved are current and former members of the Jaycees.  “It’s kind of an all hands on deck. It’s the community that’s going to be the saviors not necessarily Dawn and I,” she said.

 

The Jaycees are still hosting the Fourth of July fireworks at the fairgrounds.