The Point Dume Santa parade started with local lifeguards Bob Burnside as Santa and Jack Campbell as his elf. They zipped around the Point until the early ’70s when Gary Troy and friends assembled the annual trek. In 1994 Tim Biglow took the reins after Gary became ill. For the last 11 years, Tim and Laurie Biglow with Kim Ledoux have kept the trip around Point Dume alive and functioning.
The first trip took about an hour, while the last few trips have moved beyond five hours because of the growth of the families and the many Christmas Eve parties where the float stops. The task of assembling everything from candy canes, printing and distributing flyers, days of decorating the float, contacting Sheriff personnel and Fire Station #71 for their support, gathering funds for Polaroid film, updating the lighting systems, borrowing sound systems, plus the days afterward putting everything away following the parade has grown beyond the energy of the small group of dedicated people involved.
This year, 2006, the parade personnel are taking a rest so they can enjoy the Christmas Eve occasion with their families. Thanks to all of the volunteers during my 10 year reign as the fat man in the red suit. This special group of people made it easy for me to come in with my Ho! Ho! Ho! Have a wonderful Christmas.
Dick “Santa” Corman