'Road trip' through OCC for Coronado High's 38th annual Homecoming Parade

Following tradition, Boy Scout Troop 53 (based at Coronado High) leads off the school's annual Homecoming Parade Oct. 6, followed closely by the Coronado High band.
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Accompanied by the school mascot, the float by Cougar Chaos, a recently formed spirit club at Coronado, follows this year's Homecoming Parade "road trip" theme, going "coast to coast for Coronado," aided by representations of the Statue of Liberty and Golden Gate Bridge.
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With a ball in their midst that might be a challenge to spike, Coronado volleyball team members enjoy riding on their hand-decorated truck and float in the Homecoming Parade.
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'Road trip' through OCC for Coronado High's 38th annual Homecoming Parade

A clown on a large tricycle rides by the Coronado soccer team's float (with giant ball) in the Homecoming Parade.
Westside Pioneer photo

Oct. 6, 2018; added 3 photos Oct. 7
       With a theme of “road trip,” the 38th annual Coronado High School Homecoming Parade traveled in style through Old Colorado City the morning of Oct. 6.
       Thirty-two spirited entries in all rolled, marched and danced past several hundred supportive spectators along Colorado Avenue between 29th Street and Bancroft Park. Featured were hand-decorated floats pulled by donated-for-the-day trucks or tractors. Many people were bundled for the weather, with temperatures in the low to mid-40s.
       The parade participants represented Coronado sports teams, clubs, extracurricular activities and Homecoming royalty; most of the Coronado feeder schools; and Coronado's Boy Scout Troop 53 (in the lead, carrying the American flag as well as their own).
       Among the sights were hockey players slapping plastic balls to each other across the pavement; golfers shooting short wedge shots from a trailer into the back of

A trailer and dump truck work as a makeshift "driving range" for the Coronado golf team in the parade. Note the man at right picking up a ball that flew "out of bounds."
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the dump truck pulling it; and parade-theme floats, including depictions of a car at an old-time gas pump (by this year's Coronado juniors) and of the Statue of Liberty and Golden Gate Bridge (by the Coronado Chaos spirit group, with the caption, “Coronado Chaos travels coast to coast for Coronado”).
       Music was provided by the Coronado High and West Middle School bands.
       Each year a “Westside recipient” is recognized for Homecoming and gets a convertible ride in the parade. This year's honoreee was Emily Boehlke, who has volunteered in School District 11 since 1997 and seen her four children graduate from Coronado.

Howbert Elementary showed up for the parade with school-color balloons and bicycles. Waving is Principal Bryan Relich (helping hold the banner).
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Before the parade, in the Bancroft Park pavilion, students from the high school's culinary classes sold breakfast burritos as a parade fundraiser.
Among those at the parade was new D-11 Superintendent Michael Thomas. According to Coronado Principal Darin Smith, during his comments at the parade-concluding pep rally in the park, Thomas didn't just get to ride in a Corvette in the parade - a privilege reserved for special dignitaries and Homecoming royalty - he got to drive it. This shows that “the Westside is the place where dreams come true,” Smith happily asserted.
Coronado's student government started the parade in the fall of 1981 as an outreach to the Westside as part of the school's annual Homecoming Week activities/football game. Elected student officers still lead the planning for the Old Colorado City event.

Jackson Elementary brought its usual large contingent to the parade.
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LEFT: Emily Boehlke, this year's Westside Recipient for Coronado Homecoming, waves to parade attendees. RIGHT: In keeping with the "road trip" theme, the juniors' float depicts a car at an old-style gas station.

The Coronado girls' swim team members are all in the same boat for the Homecoming Parade.
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The Coronado girls' softball team - whose "road trip" appears to be on water - stays fired up for the parade despite the chilly weather.
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Westside Pioneer article and photos
(Schools: Coronado High School)

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