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| Labor Day 2009 |
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| News | |||
| Written by Aaron Cedeño | |||
| Wednesday, 09 September 2009 07:00 | |||
Head resting on her mom’s shoulder, nine week-old Ruby Kane took in the sights and sounds of Labor Day in Louisburg with a look in her baby blue eyes that spoke of curiosity and contentment.  It was a sentiment reflected on the faces of nearly everyone who lined Broadway Street on Monday morning to partake of one of the community’s most popular traditions – the annual Labor Day parade. Ruby’s mother, Kathy, said her family comes over from Paola every year to watch the parade and go out to lunch. This being Ruby’s first, Kathy thought she handled all the excitement very well. “She’s doing great,” Kathy said with a smile. “She likes all the noise and looking at all of the people, the floats and stuff.” Fortunately, the morning boasted an abundance of sights at which to marvel. Starting with members of the American Legion and the ever-impressive Louisburg High School marching band, the parade stretched on for almost 45 minutes; replete with everything from an antique, horse-drawn hearse to children piloting miniature monster trucks and motorcycles, all representing different local businesses and organizations. This time of year, the town of Louisburg is synonymous with Labor Day, and the various local organizations affiliated with John P. Hand American Legion Post 250 have worked hard to make it so for more than 60 years. What began as a parade and a small carnival at the city park has evolved into a weekend Truck and Tractor Pull – added to the lineup in 1971 – a parade growing larger by the year and an entire day of fun at Legion Park. It’s a key component of Louisburg’s identity, said Rita Knop, of the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary, but it benefits the community in another way as well. The event provides a sizable chunk of all operating funds for each of the organizations affiliated with the Legion post – including the Legion itself, the Auxiliary, the Sons of the American Legion and the American Legion Riders. “This is our one major money maker to donate back to the community,” she said.
 The vast majority of all charitable donations made to one of the Legion organizations end up back in Louisburg, explained Wayne Knop, Legion post commander. The remainder is funneled to troops in the United State military through another organization, the American Legion Riders. The cool weather and generally clear skies that blessed this year’s event are nothing new, Wayne Knop said, as they have typically been fortunate in that regard. In addition to Friday’s tractor pull and Monday morning’s parade, hundreds of people flocked to the Legion Park to enjoy the weather, the company and a host of fun activities for the whole family. “The tractor pull has been rained out two or three times,” he said. “But Labor Day itself? I think in the 40 years I’ve been with the club we’ve been rained out once.” Of course, the celebration has changed a great deal since its inception, including some major changes in recent years. Until recently, it was tradition for the Monday festivities in the park to feature an actual carnival. It became harder and harder to find a carnival company willing to accommodate a one-day event, Rita Knop said, until eventually they were left to search for other means of entertainment. An influx of youth to both the Sons of the American Legion and the Ladies Auxiliary has brought with it a host of fresh ideas for expanded entertainment offerings in the future, Wayne Knop said, and Rita pointed out they would like to bring the carnival back, possibly as a multi-day event. Though the look may be a little different, the spirit of the weekend has remained unchanged. Brianne Roney has called Louisburg home for her entire life, and now has the opportunity to bring her children to experience the same Labor Day fun she remembers from her youth. After her three year-old daughter, Emma, enjoyed multiple trips down a massive inflatable slide, it was easy for her to smile. “She loves it,” Roney said. “She’s just having a blast.”
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