Local holiday plans announced

Jul. 1—GREENSBURG — There are at least three community events planned for the upcoming July 4 holiday.

Fireworks

The celebrations get an early start Monday evening with the annual fireworks show hosted by the Decatur County Parks & Recreation Department.

This year's aerial display is set to begin at dusk and will take place at the Decatur County Fairgrounds.

In addition to a fireworks show, there will be snowcones, music provided by a DJ, and food with Foundations for Recovery among the vendors.

Donations to help offset the cost of the fireworks are still welcomed. Anyone interested in making a contribution is encouraged to visit https://decatur.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=1198.

Foundations for Recovery are also hosting a celebration starting around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Lifeline Church, 2002 Moscow Road.

This gathering will also feature snowcones, a live DJ, and food. A fireworks show will take place starting at dusk.

The event is open to the public at no charge, although a free-will donation will gladly be accepted to help offset costs.

Foundations for Recovery is a local men's recovery residence aimed at providing life skills and support for re-entry into society.

Parade

The 103rd Tri Kappa July 4 parade is scheduled for Tuesday morning and the annual event is all about the kids!

The tradition of the 4th of July parade in downtown Greensburg was started in 1919 by Mrs. Guy Guthrie, who wanted to give children in her neighborhood something to do and keep them out of mischief.

The event was continued by Mrs. Guthrie's Tri Kappa Sorority after her passing in 1942.

Organizers ask that area children carry on the tradition by participating in the parade rather than sitting on the sidelines. With that in mind, parade participants are asked not to throw candy during this event.

Line-up starts at 9:15 a.m. near Porter-Oliger-Pearson Funeral Home on the corner of N. Franklin and E. North streets.

Registration is not required, just come to the designated area on the morning of the 4th at about 9:15 a.m. If you are unsure of where to go, stop by Porter-Oliger-Pearson Funeral Home or find one of the many Tri Kappa members in 4th of July Tri Kappa T-shirts along the route.

Kids are encouraged to decorate their bikes or pets. Sports teams, church groups, Boy and Girl Scouts, bands, cheerleaders, dancers and gymnasts are also welcome to join the celebration!

The parade gets underway at 10 a.m. and will travel west on North Street to Broadway, terminating near Gilliland-Howe Funeral Home.

This year, Tri Kappa chose a very special sibling duo — Makayla (12) and Jaxson (10) Kieffer — to lead the parade as Grand Marshals.

Makayla and Jaxson, along with their parents, Ashley and Justin Kieffer, operate Decatur County Feline Rescue, which they began in November 2022 to reduce overcrowding of local shelters and help prevent cats from being euthanized.

The Kieffers have always had a love for animals. They adopted several of their own from the Greensburg Animal Shelter. They also have volunteered at shelters by cleaning kennels and walking dogs.

They decided this was not enough and built their own shelter enclosure, filling it with 25 male cats from the shelter. Their mission is to nurse the cats to health, get them neutered, and rehome them using Facebook. They have saved and rehomed 27 cats since starting their mission.

Makayla and Jaxson are responsible for keeping the litter boxes clean, feeding the cats, and providing needed love and affection. They are learning from this experience and seeing how important it is to be kind to animals.

The Kieffer family urges pet owners to utilize resources that are posted on Facebook and reach out to your local shelter to inquire about low cost spaying and neutering offered by vets that visits Greensburg.

The family would also like to give a shout out to Denim and Honey for letting them set up at their shop for adoption days and for raising money for their cause.

Political campaigning is not permitted during the July 4 parade, which is designed to celebrate our country with the help of local children, outstanding citizens and community organizations.