“Take Me Back to the Good Ol’ Days” Say Staff and Clients at MWI

The 17th Annual Pre-Heritage Day Parade will kick off at 6:30pm on Thursday, May 15 at the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute (MWI).

Approximately 30 clients from the Learning Disability Programme at MWI, as well as clients from community homes, will take part in the parade, dressing up in costumes from the 1940´s.

The event, which has drawn large crowds in the past, was originally created to provide an alternative for clients at MWI who were not able to attend the Bermuda Day festivities. Over the year, it has grown in popularity and has now become an event in its own right.

“The community has been very supportive of the parade,” says Juliette Basden, Activities Coordinator for the Learning Disability Programme, which organises the yearly event. “It has become an evening of family fun with activities, entertainment, music and food. No one will be disappointed with this year’s colourful and vibrant costumes and floats.”

Preparations for the Pre-Heritage Day Parade have created a lot of excitement at MWI and a great deal of work goes into making the evening a lively and festive.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our clients to express their creativity and celebrate the approaching Heritage Day with the public,” said Ms. Basden.

This year’s theme, Take Me Back to the Good Ol’ Days, will include floats depicting scenes such as It Takes a Village to Raise a Child, Disco Boogie, Door-to-Door Services, Hide-Away Spots, Five Shillings on a Horse and Night Watchmen.

Adding to the entertainment will be various majorettes and drum core groups, Gombey’s, the Bermuda Island Pipe Band and the Maumbli Akoma Dance Company. There will also be face painting for children from Sniggles and refreshments from New African Food, Lickety Split Ice Cream and Big Momma’s Food Stall.

The parade begins at the parking lot for Turning Point and Learning Disability, off Devon Springs Rd. Parking will be available at the Elliott School parking lot, The Barn and the Recycling Plant. People wishing to attend are advised that Devon Springs Rd. will be closed at 6:15pm for the parade’s start at 6.30pm.

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