2007 Parade Winners:

4-H Division
1st Place- Pepperettes and Beavers
2nd Place- No entry

Novelty Division
1st Place- Baldwin Royalty
2nd Place- Roberts Lions Club

Best Depiction of Theme
1st Place- First Lutheran Church Pre-School
2nd Place- Northwood’s Figure Skating

Parade units were judged on how they construed the theme, novelty interpretation, or represented the area 4H clubs. Units were awarded cash prizes and plaques to show appreciation for their efforts.
Marching Bands were awarded a stipend for participating to defray the costs involved with travel and other expenses incurred. They were also judged by using the Wisconsin School of Music criteria.

Awards were presented at Rice Lake City Park following the parade. If winners were not present they may pick up the prizes at the Rice Lake Chamber of Commerce after June 21, 2007.

Parade judges were Susan, Brent and Kim Barta, Tamra Schindler, and Jeff and Barb Miller.

The Aquafest committee extends a special thanks to Johnson Bank for sponsoring the parade, Baribeau Implement for use of the reviewing stand, United Building Center for the reviewing stand steps; House of Music donated the use of a PA system, and US Bank for the reviewing stand furniture. The Rice Lake Chamber of Commerce receives credit for the coordination parade unit entries. The committee also appreciates the Barron County Fair Grounds availability for a line-up facility and the Rice Lake Police and Street Departments for protective services.

Mike Bigner of the Koser Radio group served as the announcer and Kathy Kamrath from Rice Lake served as the information coordinator.

Bill Appleyard served as the Grand Marshall of this year’s parade and is well deserving of a citywide salute for his involvement in numerous civic initiatives. Mr. Appleyard also can be credited to bring life back to the Aquafest celebration in 1971, when he and local resident John Pelto paid off a previous Aquafest debt and co. chaired the annual event.
 

Grand Marshall of 2007 Aquafest Parade:

Appleyard deserves salute as grand marshal of parade

The Rice Lake Aquafest Committee has selected Bill Appleyard
to be the grand marshal for the grand parade that proceeds down
Main Street in Rice Lake on Sunday, June 17 at 12:30 p.m. The
parade theme is Salute to Our Own.

Appleyard is well-deserving of a citywide salute.

He has served as a co-chairman for both American Cancer Society
and Aquafest committees and the United Way board and has served
two terms on the Barron County Board of Supervisors.

When funds were short and the Aquafest celebration was
on the verge of folding in 1971, Appleyard and John Pelto paid
off the debt and co-chaired the annual event.

Appleyard is a charter member of the AmVets and has been
a member of the Kiwanis for 40 years and is a past president of
the organization. Appleyard has also been a member of the Rice
Lake American Legion for 38 years, the Loyal Order of the
Moose and the Rice Lake Elks for 35 years each and the Rice
Lake Chamber of Commerce for more than 30 years.

It was Appleyard who organized the Freedom Celebration
honoring WW II veterans on Nov. 11, 2000, the Our Community Remembers
program Sept. 11, 2002 honoring those who died on Sept.
11, 2001 and the WW II Veterans Reunion on Memorial Day 2004
to celebrate the completion of the WW II memorial in Washington,
D.C.

He proposed and organized the fund-raising for and construction
of a new Veterans Memorial in Rice Lake that was dedicated on
Memorial Day 2005, organized the Memorial Day event for 2006
to dedicate the Kneeling Soldier Statue at the Veterans Memorial
and is organizing a 2007 Memorial Day event for the dedication of
the WW I and WW II monument recognizing the local veterans of
the Red Arrow Division.

In May, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2204 and Ladies
Auxiliary honored Appleyard at its 34th annual Loyalty Day
Banquet. The event at the Veterans Center in Rice Lake featured
retired Barron County veterans service officer Todd Wagner as
guest speaker. Appleyard was chosen as recipient of the Loyalty
Day Award for his participation in community activities and
volunteerism.

In keeping with the parade theme, paradegoers are encouraged
to wave a hand in salute to Appleyard as he leads off the
grand parade.

Appleyard, who said he doesn’t feel comfortable being the center
of attention, has recruited his four grandchildren to help him with his
parade marshal duties.

“In my own humble way, I’ve tried to make Rice Lake a little
better,” he said.