BETHALTO - As people prepare to line the parade route in preparation for the Annual Bethalto Labor Day Parade, which will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 5, beginning on the corner of Prairie St. and Route 140, they are getting excited for this year’s parade for a different reason.
This year, the Bethalto Fire Department contacted the family of Jonny Wade, an 8-year-old boy living in Jerseyville who is battling Medulloblastoma, a type of brain cancer. The Fire Department decided bestow the young child with the honor of becoming Parade Marshal in this Saturday’s parade.
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The Bethalto Fire Department posted the announcement on their Facebook page, urging people to come out in support of the child.
“Chemotherapy can take its toll on your emotions, and having a huge turnout just to show your support [for Jonny] would mean the world to him,” the post said.
Jonny Wade has become a local superstar recently. Along with his twin brother, Jacky, they threw out a ceremonial first pitch for the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday, July 31, in their game against the Colorado Rockies. The Facebook page, “Project Team Jonny,” has over 21,000 likes, where Jonny’s mother Kimberly posts frequently about the status of her young child’s battle.
Parade attendees are encouraged to wear gold, the color that represents childhood cancer. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month.
As noted above, the parade will begin at the intersection of Route 140 and Prairie Street. The parade will continue down Prairie and end at the Boys and Girls Club of Bethalto on Central Street. Registration is not required for businesses and organizations hoping to walk in the parade; they are asked to arrive to line up at 10:00 a.m. at the parade’s starting point.
