An Eye in the Sky 

Submitted by Richard Daley
Greater Moncton 
   

“Viewing the parade from the Pedway, for some,
has become a rite of passage.”

For the average family a night out to watch the “Festival of Lights” Moncton Christmas Parade is a routine event.  Get bundled up, extra mittens, lawn chairs, a thermos of hot chocolate and you are all set.

This however is not the case for many of the children who are constantly in and out of the local hospitals.  For these kids the elements are sometimes just too much to handle.

For this reason the Greater Moncton Progress Club has, for the fourth year in a row, organized a special night of fun for these kids.  What is special you may ask?  Well picture a seat in the sky above the parade with a bird’s eye view, surrounded by decorations, Christmas carols ringing out in the background, slices of pizza being passed around, treat bags and gifts for all.  What a night of special treatment for some of the best kids in Moncton.

A night like this is a night that brings out the best in people who want to give of themselves.  This is indicative of some of the members of the ladies Progress Club who come out year after year to lend a hand in ways that are greatly appreciated.

This year was once again a memorable one where the families were host to one of the most amazing parades Moncton has ever seen.  Some of the kids who attended this year have been with us before.  They have made this special evening kind of a seasonal tradition.  Like a rite of passage these children keep coming back.  And that is the way we like it.  Whether they are active patients or not, if we have room in the Pedway they are forever welcome.

(At right:  Club president Jamie McGloin gets into the Christmas spirit!)