Downtown hosts 25th annual Teddy Bear Parade

Parade begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29

By Lance Kramer

The Gresham Outlook, Sep 25, 2007, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (4 Reader comments)

Parade route map for the 25th Annual Teddy Bear Parade.

Contributed image

The 25th Annual Teddy Bear Parade, presented by Soroptimist International of Gresham, will roll through historic downtown Gresham from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 29.

The parade will form at Fifth Street and Main Avenue at the East Hill Church and will feature floats from local merchants, service organizations, schools, neighborhood groups and individuals. As always, participants will be carrying teddy bears or will be dressed in bear costumes.

In addition to the parade, the second Annual Bike Safety Fair will also be held in historic downtown Gresham at the parade’s start/finish line. Valet parking will be available for all cyclists – and the first 600 people in attendance will receive free bicycle helmets. A prize wheel will be also be set up, with prizes given out throughout the morning. As a grand prize, Shiloh Cyclery Ltd. will be giving away a free new bike.

Born two-and-a-half decades ago, the Soroptimists started the parade to celebrate the “child in all of us” and create a tradition that helped Gresham’s “quaint and special downtown area” to thrive. In addition to the parade, the Soroptimists organize fundraisers throughout the year to raise money for scholarships for deserving women and girls.

For more information, call Patty Brost at 503-761-2792 or Vickie Kavanagh at 503-294-5941.

Parade schedule

8 a.m. – Parking lot opens for registered vehicles only (no other vehicles allowed at any time – vehicles not driving in the parade are not allowed on the lot)

8:30 a.m. – Floats and motorized vehicles gather in place

9:30 a.m. – All participants assembled in East Hill Church parking lot

10 a.m. – Parade begins

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