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For this year’s parade, the Greater Severna Park and Arnold Chamber of Commerce chose the theme “Broad Stripes, Bright Stars and Big Hearts,” but the American Legion Post 175 float contained something extra: Purple Hearts.
Float designer Daniel Cavegn credited his girlfriend, Gail Helm, and her friend Judy Davidson for the American Legion’s concept, which showed the number of service members awarded Purple Hearts after being killed or wounded in action during each war.
Cavegn and Helm started the float and had help from about 15 people near the end of the process.
“This is packing material I pulled out of my shop because I pack stuff all the time,” Cavegn said, showing off the finished design. “I said, ‘They want broad stripes? I have plenty of that.’
“You have to paint these so many times to get them to turn from black to red,” he said, pointing to the stripes. “The lumber work takes time, but we’re gifted in the sense that we have plenty of carpenters and people who can work a saw.”
With the float mostly decorated, the front remained blank. Karen Hart added another touch to recognize Gold Star and Blue Star families.
“Gold Star are people who have lost a child and [blue] is for people who are still deployed and still coming home,” Cavegn said.
Several other clubs and communities made a statement with their entries.
The parade was also a bittersweet moment for the team behind the AIC Nathaniel H. McDavitt Memorial Scholarship Fund float. A former Severna Park resident, McDavitt was stationed in Germany in 2016 when a severe windstorm caused a building to collapse while he was inside.
“At his funeral, it struck me how different he was than a lot of people,” said Chris Middleton, McDavitt’s uncle and the catalyst behind the scholarship fund. “I couldn’t let it go that he would have done much more in life had he lived.”
The single-axle trailer included a jet on top because McDavitt liked to work on jets during his time in the Air Force. To complement the chamber’s theme, the float emphasized the values of character, drive and service.
“We give out money for the scholarship fund to kids who demonstrate character, drive and service like he did, but in their own way,” Middleton said. “We want to recognize and lift up what they have done, like Nathan, as an example.”
After getting involved with the parade 25 years ago, when he was asked to set up the judges’ public address system, Matt Gustafson bought his first fire truck. He then entered it in the parade with the encouragement of Linda Zahn, who was the CEO of the Greater Severna Park and Arnold Chamber of Commerce.
Now, he has a newer vehicle that he described as “an amazing piece of machinery with a classic look and an unmistakable sound.”
“Older trucks that aren’t fully enclosed can only be sold to collectors, so prices are low. That’s how I was able to own this incredible vehicle,” he said. “It was built in 1986 in Pennsylvania and lived there until I bought it a few years ago. It has a turbocharged diesel engine, a powerful pump capable of pushing 2,000 gallons per minute at high pressure, a water tank, an electrical generator, and an aerial ladder. It’s so big I have to store it on a farm.”
Matt’s 27-year-old son, Rob, got his class B license and drives the truck. Like his father, Rob is also a volunteer driver at Earleigh Heights Volunteer Fire Company. Last December, Rob and coworkers at his day job used the truck to take Santa through Linthicum Heights, “a community that really benefits from a visit from Santa at Christmas,” Matt said.
“It’s great to see the truck brings joy to others, besides me,” Matt said. “I see it along the parade route and in the community.”
On the business side, DodgeBow introduced itself to the community with a patriotic concept.
“We plan on having humans dressed in bald eagle suits and also American flag inflatables as we drive though the parade,” DodgeBow owner Louben Repke said a few days before the parade. “Of course, we'll be carrying our bows and arrows with us as we flap our wings.”
Round Bay incorporated the chamber’s theme into a float featuring sailing, a key activity for families in the community. Every summer, Round Bay enjoys a sailing camp, races and a regatta.
Residents of all ages gathered days before the parade, with kids adding creative details like fishing, crabbing and a jellyfish. For the sail, the children used an art technique they learned during their neighborhood beach camp.
“The Round Bay community is a gem located on the Severn River,” Dinah Tysinger said. “Residents enjoy watching their children grow up together sailing, swimming, and seeing the Blue Angels flyover during Naval Commissioning Week. It was fun to personalize our float with activities that represent our good times on the Severn River.”
Olde Severna Park’s decorating was organized by Tommy Williams and his wife, Lindsey, who added onto the parade theme with features that highlighted space.
“We really wanted to have a sustainable aspect this year and we were able to reuse the lighthouse float from the prior year to make the lunar lander,” Williams said. “I used a Sonotube to make the rocket. We had the kids join in by painting everything.”
In place of the NASA logo, the community wore Olde Severna Park Improvement Association symbols.
“A couple kids dressed in space suits and some of the adults dressed up like mission control,” he said the morning of the event. “We have songs playing that have a space, rocket or moon theme.”
Severndale went simpler with its theme: having fun and getting involved.
“We want the kids to have fun while also showing pride for their country and their community,” said Severndale resident Stefanie Johnson. “Why just watch when you can join in? All are welcome to participate however they are comfortable — walking, bikes, scooters, strollers, etc. Being our first year, our community came together to purchase a banner and residents donated decorations and candy to pass out. We are so excited to participate!”
Lastly, Linstead took the Best Overall title with a float that featured a blue heron sculpture with a 16-foot wingspan, made from recycled materials handcrafted by kids in the community.
The float was a replica of Linstead's pier set atop a mock-up of the Severn River.
“For us, bringing the float to reality has been a series of community-wide events over the last two weeks across generations of residents,” said float committee member Brian Donovan. “Our goal is to bring the Linstead community together and to share with residents, most importantly our kids, the importance of taking care of the Severn.”
Linstead kicked off float preparations during its annual community summer camp the week of June 19, when Linstead partnered with the Severn River Association to talk with kids about the importance of the river to the local ecosystem and help the kids understand their obligation to take care of the river.
“We followed it up last week with a community decorating night, where we worked with the kids to create colorful fish, authentic Maryland crabs, and turtles that will be affixed to the outside of our float in our replica of the Severn River,” Donovan said. “It was a phenomenal evening where we had kids working alongside our senior citizens like resident Jack Pepper, who built a custom replica of our lifeguard chair.”
Float committee member Justin Miller said the enthusiasm from so many community members led to a special result.
“We had kids staying up until 10:00pm, painting feathers,” he said. “We had people on their days off coming down to paint the water. We had all that, so it was really awesome.”
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