After 20 years, Tualatin’s Diane Bonica is looking for someone to take over duties of her Labor of Love, Fox Hills July 4th Parade.

Dear Mr. Crane,

I have been sponsoring a 4th of July Parade in Tualatin for twenty years.  It started with 14 participants in 1990 and now draws about 700 people to the neighborhood around Bridgeport School.  I would like to give the parade away!  I started it when my kids were young and now they are all college graduates.  I am ready to hand everything over to an organization or a family.  I am willing to take on a trainee this year...I will do the 20th anniversary event this July 4th.  I thought your newspaper would be a perfect venue for my story.  I am attaching a flyer and a parade notice from years past in case you have never heard of the event before.

Thanks!  I hope you can find my parade a home.  It is the only big 4th of July celebration in Tualatin.  I would be saddened if the parade ended this year.

With joy,

Diane Bonica

Job Description:

Hooray!  Let’s begin:

The person taking over has very little to do.  My process begins in January by reserving the town banner space in front of the Century Hotel.  I have purchased two large banners over the years and would gladly donate them to my successor.

- I then contact the city in May and get my info into the newsletter for June and July.

- I print flyers at a cost of about $12.00 and deliver them to Bridgeport school.  The school includes my flyer in its newsletter to families.

- I contact the principal of Bridgeport school and request permission to use the grounds on July 4th.  Because I am a school district employee, I have also been given access to the building for the use of the outdoor sound system.

- I contact Tualatin Fire and Police to join in the parade.

- I bring the banner to the town office in the community park.  I put flyers in the library.

- I spend about $150.00 on small prizes and ice pops for all children in the parade.  I also bring 2 cases of bottled water on hot days.

- Parade signs go up in the neighborhood during the last week of June.

- I decorate the school parking lot on the day of the parade.

- I station myself at the parade site at 3PM.

- People begin arriving at 3:30.  Parade begins at 4PM

- Everything is cleaned up and taken down by 5PM.

- I visit the town office in the park during the week after the parade to retrieve the banner.

A Little More About Diane…

As for me… I love to celebrate!  I grew up in Watertown, Massachusetts and the biggest event of the year was our town’s 4th of July celebration.  When I moved to Tualatin, I was saddened that we had nothing.  I began the parade with my neighbor, Nancy Truax.  Our first event had 14 participants.  The second year, we grew to over 50 people.  By year five, we were too big to assemble on our neighborhood street so we moved to the school parking lot.

I never know how many people will attend.  I have never given prizes for best float, costume etc.  Everyone wins at my parade.  We are all there to celebrate freedom and justice for all.  Over the years I have had bagpipers, kazoo bands, clowns, politicians and more.  Families create floats, decorate doll strollers, wagons and bikes.  Last year, I had the first child of an early years participant. Guess that makes me a parade grandma!

I have tried for many years to get a REAL band but have had no luck. I am continuing my quest for this year. 

The real devotion to this event has been that my family has not travelled over the 4th of July weekend in 20 years.  I even did the parade in 2002 after my first chemo treatment.  I was newly bald, tired but elated!  My family and friends made sure that the parade went on and I was well enough to attend!

To contact Diane Bonica, e-mail dbonica@gmail.com or call 503-692-2873