ATHENS SANDLOT OPENING DAY PARADE

ATHENS SANDLOT

OPENING DAY PARADE - APRIL 19, 2008

PARTICIPANTS INFORMATION

LINE UP TIME: STARTING AT 9:00 - VEHICLES PRESENT NO LATER THAN 9:30 A.M.

LINE UP STARTS:
IN ATHENS

BASEBALL STARTS LINE UP AT MORRIS AVENUE  BEFORE JAGERS FUNERAL HOME (KEEP DRIVEWAY CLEAR) AND

SOFTBALL STARTS LINE UP ON WALLACE (STARTING AT STOP SIGN OF WALLACE AND MORRIS) OVERFLOW LINES UP ON MAPLEWOOD AVE

THEN OHIO AVE

PARADE ENDS:   W. UNION AND N. CONGRESS (Regular traffic pattern after this point)

STARTS: 10:00 AM SHARP!

CONTACTS: Mike 707-3586    George 593-3357

OPENING DAY CEREMONIES START AT 11:30 ATHENS SANDLOT FIELDS - WEST END PARK

Thank you for participating in the Annual Athens Sandlot Opening Day Parade!

Parade Sponsor(s) are still needed to cover the $750 in officer costs to have the parade. Call Mike at 594-7788 if interested in being a full or partial sponsor.

GENERAL INFORMATION

We need people to have their vehicles in line starting at 9:00 a.m. so that children have time to find their team’s vehicle by 9:30.
Each team provides a vehicle(s) and/or float.
Vehicles are asked to have their team and sponsor represented with a poster or sign on the vehicle.
Line up begins at 9:00 a.m.
Parade starts promptly at 10:00 a.m.

BOYS BASEBALL TEAMS - Line up Morris Avenue

Come in from E. State Street and turn onto:

SHANNON Ave (across from Premiere Video - one block from SA gas station - fire station on corner) and turn
RIGHT onto Morris Ave. Start lining up on right side of road facing E. State Street starting before driveway of Jagers Funderal Home.
If MORRIS becomes full parade vehicles can continue the line up S. MAY AVE.

GIRLS SOFTBALL TEAMS – Line up Wallace Avenue (East Elemntary)

Come in from E. STATE Street and turn onto

SHANNON Ave (across from Premiere Video - one block from SA gas station - fire station on corner) and turn
RIGHT onto MAPLEWOOD. Go to end of street and turn
LEFT onto WALLACE.
Start lining up at the stop sign on right side of WALLACE facing Morris Ave
If Wallace becomes full, begin lining cars on MAPLEWOOD.

EMERGENCY VEHICLES

Fire Trucks/EMS/DARE may use Morris Ave to line up, in any order, behind any vehicle upon arrival.

OTHER VEHICELS AND PARTICIPANTS

Show/Classic Cars, tractors, and other vehicles can line up on any of the above streets upon arrival behind any parade participant.

Overflow vehicles may lineup on Ohio Ave. which is the first street running parallel to Morris Ave. Line up will start on the right side at the intersection of Ohio Ave and Wallace facing Wallace Dr. (the street running in front of East Elementary School).

NON-PARADE VEHCILES

Parking. Non-Parade vehicles (those not in the line up to trasport players) should NOT park on right side of parade line-up streets of MORRIS, WALLACE, MAPLEWOOD OR OHIO. Residents are nice enough to move their cars so we have room for parade vehicles. Suggestions for parking are Sunnyside, Elmwood, or S. May Ave.

Dropping off. Look at the map below. ALL vehicles (parade AND dropping off) should come in off of E. STATE Street onto SHANNON AVE. Dropping off vehicles should proceed up MORRIS to exit back onto E. State. The objective is to keep vehicles moving in one direction up MORRIS towards E. STATE.

IF YOU TRY TO COME TO MORRIS AVE OFF OF STIMPSON YOU WILL BE STUCK!

IF YOU COME OFF E. STATE ONTO MORRIS AVE YOU WILL BE STUCK!

Traffic Flow. Traffic is being directed UP Morris to E. State Street which will be one way during this time. This is important as Fire Trucks will be present and may need to leave up Morris Ave if called to an emergency.

MARCHING BANDS

You can't have an offical parade without a band! The Alexander High School Marching Band was first last year! First band arriving gets to line up at Jager’s Funeral Home. Other bands fill in as you arrive at the next opening in line.

PARADE VEHICLES

Please be considerate and do not block driveways. If you do wait in front of a driveway, do not leave your vehicle unattended. Resident's cars may be parked on the street not involved in the parade. Most move their cars but some may be present.

Leave adequate space between vehicles. This is a kids parade, so please drive slowly and carefully in this area. Watch for children as they will be running around before the parade starts. Children remain seated in vehicles during the parade until reaching the ball fields or other destination of your choice.

PARADE ROUTE

Currently, the parade will start on Morris Ave, turn left on E. State Street, turn right on Carpenter Street, turn left on Court Street, right onto W. Union and officially end at W. Union and N. Congress. You can slowly proceed directly to the fields. However, police may have to divert us so be patient and follow the vehicles after reaching the college gate.

Band members will be one of the first few groups. When the Band and anyone else walking reaches the end of the parade, you will need to go onto the College Green or onto the sidewalk so the police can get help vehicles get through on Union.

For vehicles, at Court and Union, we anticipate turning right onto Union which should be blocked off to oncoming traffic. Vehicles may proceed to the West End Ball Fields to drop off players.*

You can continue on down W, UNION to the light (at Hungry Howies Pizza) and turn:

RIGHT onto Schaffer and at stop sign turn
LEFT onto W. State Street and proceed
STRAIGHT to ball fields and
Drop off kids at FIELDS 1 & 2 and tell them to walk to the Polo Grounds or other designated area of your choice AWAY FROM THE ROAD and proceed
STRAIGHT - go around at the cul-de sac, and then exit or park.
NOTICE - If you try to pull into the parking lot at Fenway it will likely be full and it is impossible to turn around! You will likely back up traffic towards Shaffer because everyone will be following YOU! Then parents will not be able to get to the fields.

*Athens Sandlot reserves the right to stop and remove any person or vehicle from the parade at any time for any reason (e.g. kids not properly supervised or are being a hazard to others)

PARKING AT BALLFIELDS:

Opening day is the busiest day of the season at the park! Parking gets filled fast! Carpooling is encouraged. Overflow parking is available off the dirt road after the OU golf driving range and before the first ballfield on your right (DALTON FIELD).

ENJOY THE PARADE! THANKS FOR COMING!

GOOD LUCK TO ALL THE PLAYERS THIS SEASON!

LINE UP TIME:	STARTING AT 9:00 - VEHICLES PRESENT NO LATER THAN 9:30 A.M.
LINE UP STARTS:	IN ATHENS BASEBALL STARTS LINE UP AT MORRIS AVENUE BEFORE JAGERS FUNERAL HOME (KEEP DRIVEWAY CLEAR) AND SOFTBALL STARTS LINE UP ON WALLACE (STARTING AT STOP SIGN OF WALLACE AND MORRIS) OVERFLOW LINES UP ON MAPLEWOOD AVE THEN OHIO AVE
PARADE ENDS:	W. UNION AND N. CONGRESS (Regular traffic pattern after this point)
STARTS:	10:00 AM SHARP!
CONTACTS:	Mike 707-3586 George 593-3357
OPENING DAY CEREMONIES	START AT 11:30 ATHENS SANDLOT FIELDS - WEST END PARK