Checkin’ it twice
12/9/2015 3:50:31 PM
Placentia campus took first place in their community Christmas parade. Their Radio Flyer red wagon themed float was chocked full of oversized toys.
Ridge Road and Prince Philip Drive campuses teamed up with the St. John’s IceCaps this year to create an entry for the 2015 Downtown Christmas Parade, scoring a tie for first place.
College of the North Atlantic (CNA) is sure to make Santa’s nice list again this year as several campuses took part in Christmas parades in their respective communities, two of which took home awards for their spectacular designs.
In St. John’s, Ridge Road and Prince Philip Drive campuses teamed up with the St. John’s IceCaps this year to create an entry for the 2015 Downtown Christmas Parade, scoring a tie for first place with NL Power in the Best Float Over 20 Feet category. You can see the college’s entry on NTV’s broadcast of the Christmas Parade this weekend.
The action packed hockey-themed float presented the most exciting game of the holiday season where CNA went head to head with the St. John’s IceCaps for a historic moment in mascot hockey history. The college sourced some amazing players including Ms. Falcon, who flew all the way from the College of the North Atlantic-Qatar campus to play in the game. Leading the CNA team was the college’s very own Nanuk the Polar Bear, while Buddy the Puffin led the charge for the IceCaps. Coming in for moral support was Hello Kitty, a couple of groovy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Olaf the snowman, and some notoriously hilarious Minions.
Angela Hiscock, chair of CNA’s Christmas Parade Committee in St. John’s, says planning for the float began in September.
“It takes so much time to plan and order the things we need for a float this size; from planning the costumes to making components for the float beforehand,” said Hiscock. “I spent time making jerseys for the mascots and ordering all the supplies, and my house was filled with random things for the parade before building week. Although I have to admit, I do think about these things before September because I love doing it.”
Once they had decided on the hockey theme, the idea expanded to include the IceCaps, mascots, cheerleaders, stand-in hockey players, a media booth complete with an announcer and cameraperson, super fans, and even a scoreboard with a live video feed.
“I think it was a real feast for the eyes, and ears, coming up the road.”
It was a labour of love for the many volunteers who gave their time to make the float a reality.
“We had on average 10 to 15 people building the float each night, someone to help with the financial piece, a committee of about 10 or so people in total. The guys in printing (at Prince Philip Drive campus) helped with the banners, and the IceCaps had a camera person there each night while we were building. On parade day we had 47 people on the float but most importantly, John Hearn, who not only provided us with a warehouse space, but also stayed to help us each night.”
A little over a hundred kilometres away, CNA’s Placentia campus could also be found scoring first place in their community Christmas parade. Their Radio Flyer red wagon themed float was chocked full of oversized toys.
“We began planning only about two weeks before when we came up with the idea of the wagon,” said float committee team member, Linda Reddigan. “The creative juices started flowing and we decided on the oversized toys to fill the wagon. We made most of the toys ourselves on break time and in the evenings.”
The float was a joint effort between 10 volunteers.
“We always enjoy getting the float ready for the parade and the first place win is a real bonus! It is always satisfying to hear the comments and to see the children’s faces,” Reddigan said. “Our prize was $100 gift certificate from a local store, and we plan to buy turkeys for the CBC Turkey Drive.”
Across the rest of the province, the Port aux Basques campus Christmas float received sixth place for their Peanuts themed design. Corner Brook campus built a Polar Express themed float, while Baie Verte designed a Mine Craft float.
To view photos from the parades CNA participated in across the province, visit the college’s Facebook page at www.cna.nl.ca/facebook and be sure to tune into NTV on Sunday, Dec. 13 at 4 p.m. to watch the St. John’s Downtown Christmas Parade.
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Media Contact:
Glenda McCarthy
Public Relations Specialist
College of the North Atlantic
709.643.6408
glenda.mccarthy@cna.nl.ca