BLADENSBURG — The thermometer registered 9 degrees, but that didn’t stop hardy souls from gathering Sunday for the village’s annual Christmas parade.
This year’s theme was “Merry Christmas Charlie Brown.” Lucy, Linus, and Snoopy were among the characters tossing out handfuls of candy as the parade wound through village streets.
Chuck and Lauren (Tink) Klick served as grand marshals.
After the parade, residents lingered at the Bladensburg Community Center to warm up. Members of Riley Baptist Church served cookies and hot chocolate.
Youth shopped for gifts at the Secret Santa shop and then made their way next door for help wrapping the gifts they found for friends and family.
A highlight of the afternoon was the presentation of the 2025 Bladensburg Community Spirit Award to Kim Davidson and Richard Barker.
The couple serves as directors of the Bladensburg Community Heritage Foundation.
The foundation is a nonprofit that bought the former Bladensburg Elementary School in 2017.
“They’re the ones that got this building restored to this point, up and running,” foundation board member Sandy Kidd Prestridge said.
“They’ve done an outstanding job developing this building for use for the community,” board member Lou Baker said.
The spirit of the community
“It’s not unnoticed what you guys do,” board member and pastor Greg Weyrich told the couple. “All of us see it every day, and we don’t let you know as often as we should how wonderful you are.”
Weyrich said the duo’s “leadership vision, selfless service, passion and tireless energy” brought about the transformation of the former school building into an outstanding local community center.
“Their devotion and efforts are recognized in gratitude and appreciation by the Bladensburg Community Heritage Foundation,” he said. “God bless you two, and thank you so much for everything.”
The East Knox Board of Education closed the elementary school in 2015.
Now used as a community center, it hosts an annual arts and craft show, serves as a venue for Knox County Special Olympics, and is home to Center of Hope food pantry.
(Below are Cheryl Splain’s photos of the day’s activities.)
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