And the winner is...

The Center For Total Body Awareness, L.L.C., with Kirkland massage expert Jessica Gray, Licensed Massage Practitioner (L.M.P)! Jessica has 10 years experience helping downtown Kirkland unwind—make a visit to get relaxed and ready for this Fourth!

Congratulations, Jessica! We can't wait to see your float!

Breaking News! Kirkland's Fourth of July Saved!

Mission accomplished! Kirkland’s Fourth of July and fireworks have been saved! Thanks to you, we’ve exceeded our goal and raised $35,000! We could never have saved our Fourth without our Facebook friends and fans, Twitter followers, the local businesses, and the Kirkland community!

THANK YOU!

PS. We’ll see you at the Kirkland Fourth of July!

Who's the Grand Marshal?

This year's Grand Marshal is the Green Team! The Green Team has 20 members, people who work to keep Kirkland "green" now and for the future.

The Green Team has set in place small goals for making Kirkland, Washington, a sustainable city. The team hopes to foster local green activities, design a Climate Action Plan, share ideas on environmental stewardship and sustainable strategies, and educate the community on green practices.

Going green has never been so red, white, and blue!

Confirmed Parade Participants!

You'll be seeing these businesses and organizations in the 2009 Kirkland Fourth of July parade! Wonder what they'll do with the "Red, white, and blue, and green all over" theme!

(Click on the names to get more info on the organization or business!)

• Bikini Beach (See their past float in the picture above!)


• Bombaii Cutters


• Butch Kent (with a great iconic vintage vehicle!)


• Evergreen Court


• The City of Kirkland's Green Team


• Mermaid Hair Extensions


• Peter Kirk Community Center and the Kirkland Steppers


• United States Army
  
  

Did we leave out your organization's or business's name? Email us at savekirklandfourth@gmail.com and we'll make sure to mention you!

The Ex Box Boys Coming to Kirkland's Fourth of July!

The eastside's own Ex Box Boys will be performing at Kirkland's Fourth this year!

The Ex Box Boys are a band centered around video games! But you don't need to pick up a video game controller to enjoy The Ex Box Boys' music—they have easy-to-listen-to, catchy songs that draw rock, pop, and alternative music fans. Which is why we're elated to have them performing on the Fourth of July!

Click here to listen to The Ex Box Boys' music so you'll be able to sing along at the show!



Concert details to come!

Special Fireworks Announcement!

As you know, the fireworks have been in danger, but thanks to all the donations and support, there will be a great fireworks show! Not only have we raised money for the usual fireworks, but the fireworks company, Western Fireworks, Inc., has thrown in an extra-special finale worth $2,000!

Let's say a big-thank you to Western Fireworks, Inc. for helping us make this Fourth of July even more spectacular!

**Comcast donates $5000!**

If you missed our big news on Facebook, here it is again! Comcast donated $5000 to Kirkland's Fourth of July Fireworks! Which brings us to our new total...$20, 270! Just $10,000 away from our goal!

Right about now we want to give a big thank-you to everyone who's supported this Fourth, whether you donated your time, encouragement, money, or resoures!

THANK YOU!

Did your business win?

Coming up, you can find out which business won a free place in the 2009 Kirkland Fourth parade!

Join First Baptist Church of Kirkland in the parade!

First Baptist Church of Kirkland will be marching in this year's Fourth of July parade! For all the info, click here.

We're excited to see First Baptist Church of Kirkland will be in the parade! Will you be marching with their group? We hope to see you there!

**Update on Donation Boxes!**

If you've been waiting to donate in person, you'd better hurry! We now have donation boxes in only
3 places:

Tera Apartments
Mushoe (Kirkland location)
Acupuncture & Chiropractic Integrative Clinic

Stop by these Kirkland businesses and look for the Save Kirkland's Fourth donation boxes—they won't be around for much longer!

And to everyone who's already donated, thank you! You're the reason we've almost saved our Fourth!

Did you see us on King 5?

You can by clicking here! Watch and you'll see someone familiar!

Barkz: The Dog Stop Supports Save Kirkland's Fourth! (Pet Safety Tips Inside!)

Read the Barkz Blog's encouraging post:


"Some of you may or may not know but the City of Kirkland deleted the budget for the 4th of July Fireworks and Parade. Celebrate Kirkland is a non profit organization that organizes the yearly fireworks display and the parade with the masterful leader&mdashPenny Sweet&mdashwho co-owns the Grape Choice.

If you enjoy the Kirkland 4th of July Fireworks and/or the parade please visit www.celebratekirkland.org and find out how you can volunteer, contribute or participate in the parade."


Thanks to Paula and the rest of Barkz for their support! And remember, fireworks might be fun for us, but our four-legged friends are often not so thrilled! Follow Celebrate Kirkland's safety guidelines so this year's Fourth can be fun for all the members of your family:

During the fireworks show, no dogs are allowed.
Fireworks and Pets Don't Mix! Identify and License your Pet for Protection.

You might have noticed that we put a lot of links in this post—we wanted to make sure you have all the information you're looking for! And if you ever have questions on anything about Save Kirkland's Fourth, email us at savekirklandfourth@gmail.com. We're here for you!

Kirkland Fourth Forecast: Blue Thunder!

In addition to the Rainbow City Marching Band, the Seahawks drumline, Blue Thunder, will be at this year's parade!

It's not a surprise that Kirkland loves the Seahawks (click here to see how much!), and we definitely love a drumline that sounds as festive as this one!

Anonymous Donates $500!

A very generous anonymous donor just gave $500.00! That's one big donation, and enough to take us up to $16,460! We're feeling very inspired right now! Thank you, secret Fourth fan!

$100 Donation!

Happy Friday! To kick off this (hopefully sunny!) weekend, we'd like to thank Kirkland Fourth supporters John and Heidi Kelly, who donated $100.00! John and Heidi have this special message: "Lots of thanks to Penny for making this a possibility!" We second that!

Contest for Businesses!

Businesses, this one's for you! Want a spot in the parade but are feeling the financial crunch? Enter to win a FREE parade entry!

There are 3 ways to enter!

Online: email your business's name and contact info to savekirklandfourth@gmail.com

By mail: write "Please enter me in the parade entry drawing" on the back of your business card and mail to:
Celebrate Kirkland
c/o 700 20th Ave. West
Kirkland, WA 98033

In person: write "Please enter me in the parade entry drawing" on the back of your business card and drop it by the Kirkland First Launch at Parkplace Books on June 10th, 6-8pm; put your business card in the ballot box.

***DEADLINE: June 15***

Not just Floating: March, Walk, or Cruise, or Coast!

Instead of being limited to the standard float, your possibilities are endless! Your "float" could be a...

• Drill Team




• Band




• Group of Animals (horses, dogs...trained parrots, anyone?)




• Car, Truck, or Trailer




• Group of Bicycles




• Something even better you can think of!

But, let's say you want to make a traditional float. Click here for instructions on building a small float platform. This float-making tutorial comes from some parade pros at the Portland Rose Festival. You can use their tips for making a couple mini floats, letting each of your group members in on the action.

By now, you should be feeling inspired! Send us some hints on what you're making; we'll do our best to keep it under wraps!

Good luck!

So Much Happening! Find out the Latest Kirkland 4th News!

Hot off the press, the latest updates on Saving Kirkland's Fourth of July!

(In no particular order!)

We'll be on KING TV's morning show on Thursday or Friday morning! Make sure you tune in—and tell us you saw us on TV!A little firework told us Kirkland firefighters might be raising money for the fireworks at tomorrow’s Kirkland Wednesday Market! Another reason to hit the market! Click here for Kirkland Wednesday Market details! And talk about green living: the Kirkland Wednesday Market supports a sustainable, green community! Reduce carbon footprints by shopping locally, and support your Kirkland neighbors!And...we've got a contest for businesses! Details to come; if you can't wait, check out our Facebook page under Events!

Meet a 2009 Kirkland Fourth Band!

We're excited to announce that the Rainbow City Marching Band will be returning this year! They've marched in Kirkland's Fourth of July celebrations for years, and it wouldn't be a parade without the Rainbow City Marching Band!

The Rainbow City Marching Band comes from the Rainbow City Band, a group of around 75 musicians. In addition to the marching band, Rainbow City's members perform concerts and form a swing band called Purple Passion.

Watch this video, and you'll know why the Rainbow City Marching Band is one of the best parts of Kirkland's Fourth of July!

Your Hit Parade: Get Inspired!

Now that you've decided to be in Kirkland's Fourth parade this year, you have your group together, and you just need a float. How can you get inspired? Well, there are 2 things to keep in mind:

1. This year's theme is Red, White, Blue and Green All Over: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!


2. Your group's/organization's/business's message can be part of your theme!

Let's say you have a cafe. Your cafe uses reusable dishes, cloth napkins, and vintage decor and furniture. Your float could have a table on it with some volunteer "patrons" enjoying a meal. You could showcase the cloth napkins, glasses, and vintage furniture. You could even make a giant "menu" with the main courses "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" and the name of your cafe on it. It's eye-catching and easy to make.

Maybe you and your group work at a bicycle shop. Cyclists reduce carbon footprints every day! Grab some red, white, blue (and green) helmets, bikes, and gear from your store. Have your group ride the bikes together in the parade! You don't even need a float platform—you and your group will be the float!

All you have to do is ask yourself and your group this question: What does our business/organization/group do that's green? Once you have the answer, add some touches of red, white, and blue, and you're good to go!

Check out our parade photo album for more inspiration!