St. Elmo celebrates Labor Day with parade
Sep. 6—ST. ELMO — A cloudy sky and a chance of rain Monday morning didn't scare away the large crowd that gathered along Walnut Street in St. Elmo to watch the annual St. Elmo Labor Day Parade.
St. Elmo Police Chief Jeremy Scruggs led the parade in one of his squad cars, followed by several fire trucks from the St. Elmo Fire Protection District and neighboring fire departments. A mobile support unit from Fayette County Emergency Management was featured in the parade along with several emergency vehicles including ambulances from Rural Med, with corporate headquarters in St. Elmo in the former Davis Chevrolet building, and A-1 Emergency Medical Services of Altamont.
Two high school bands performed during the parade: the Altamont High School Marching Band and the St. Elmo High School Marching Band.
"I especially enjoy the bands," Mary Schmidt of rural Altamont said. "If there's no band, there's not a parade in my opinion."
Schmidt came to the parade with her sister-in-law, St. Elmo resident Pat McDowell. McDowell moved back to her hometown of St. Elmo after living in Vandalia several years before retiring from the Illinois Secretary of State office.
Tanner and Sarah Austin of Casey brought their two children, Evie and Lane, to parade. Tanner Austin is a St. Elmo native.
"The kids really like the firetrucks," Sarah Austin said.
"And I like the candy," Tanner Austin added.
St. Elmo resident Irma Viramontes brought her daughters, Fatima, Kassandra and Victoria, to the parade. They found a place to watch the parade along Walnut Street.
"I've been coming to this parade for 20 years," Irma Viramotes said. "I really enjoy all of the beautiful flags."
"I really like to see the community get together," Fatima Viramotes added.
Charles Mills can be reached at charles.mills@effinghamdailynews.com or by phone at 618-510-9226 or 217-347-7151 ext. 300126.
