Kids Who Care about Bread for Life create winning float

It took many long hours and much hard work to create the Bread for Life Apple Harvest Festival Parade float but in the end it was worth it: the float won first place Civic Group 2013. It was the first year that Bread for Life participated in the parade.

“We couldn’t believe it. We were thrilled,” said Amy Fontaine, who co-leads the Kids Who Care youth group with parent Jillian Thorpe.

Kids Who Care was organized earlier this year to give youth the opportunity to support Bread for Life. They assist, organize and participate in fundraisers such as the Rogers Orchards Walk and Walk Against Hunger.

For more than a week before the Oct. 6 parade, the youth made posters and cut out letters and apples, all which were used to decorate the float. The flatbed truck that was donated by Brunalli Construction Co. was parked in a garage located at the Aqua Turf Club.

Eldon Hafford, executive director of Bread for Life, and the Kids Who Care leaders said they were extremely grateful for the support of Brunalli, Aqua Turf, The John Boyle Co. paint store, Evergreen Nursery and Rogers Orchards because otherwise the project would not have come together.

On parade day, approximately 25 youth rode on the float with Hafford and several board members. The history of Bread for Life from its inception in 1985 was chronicled with an “orchard,” kids “making” soup and a picnic table, in keeping with the theme “A Harvest of Memories.”

“It was really great for the kids. They saw that hard work pays off,” Fontaine said.

For more information about Bread for Life, visit the website www.southingtonbreadforlife.org .