The morning of the second Saturday of March, Cooper City celebrated the 59th anniversary of its founding. Although the Cooper City was originally founded in June, the city celebrates in the spring in order to include the optimist teams who have finished their seasons in the annual Founder’s Day Parade.
Cooper City residents gathered along both sides of 90 Ave. in observance of the Founder’s Day Parade. The mile-long parade featured a show of the local law enforcement and fire department’s vehicles. CCHS’ Sound of Pride marching band performed pieces as they walked along the blocked off road. Further down the line-up were local martial arts and dance businesses whose young students provided performances and sweet treats for the crowds.
The parade closed with the various Cooper City Optimist teams who were armed with garbage cans filled with chilled water, water guns and water balloons to ambush the crowd with. The spectators, however, after years of attendance, were prepared and came armed with their own water ammunition, making for an intense water battle which spared no one, regardless of age.
The spectators, however, after years of attendance, were prepared and came armed with their own water ammunition, making for an intense water battle which spared no one, regardless of age.
“The first year I came to Founder’s Day I was in the parade with my softball team,” senior Karla Jimenez said. “We got soaked. It was so much fun, they [the crowd] throw water at you and then you are throwing it back and while you are trying to refill your water gun you get even wetter.”
After the parade’s end, the crowds dispersed, moving on to the other activities the day had to offer. Regrouping at Brian Piccolo County Park, attendees arrived as early as one in the afternoon until the event’s end at eight thirty. Towards the late afternoon, the park had been taken over by children and adults who set up camp with blankets, tents and all sorts of food. Children ran wild as they enjoyed various aspects of the event such as face painting, carnival-style games and bounce houses as their parents kept watch from a distance with their friends.
“It’s just a really chill event,” sophomore Leah Applebaum said. “It’s one day that we can go and hang out with everybody.”
“It’s just a really chill event. It’s one day that we can go and hang out with everybody.”
As the day wore on the sky grew dark, not because the sun was setting, but because of massive rain clouds that settled over the event.
“The rain does not kill anyone’s enthusiasm,” Jimenez said. “The kids still had a blast. They were still running around even in the rain, some don’t even have their shirts on.”
PHOTO BY CASEY CHAPTER
While some gathered their things and left as a result of the downpour, others remained, huddled close together under tents with rain ponchos as they awaited the annual firework display that is presented at the festival every year
“We’re a community and there are fireworks at the end,” Applebaum said. “We just have to get through the rain and then getting to watch the firework show. ”
The rain ceased pouring just long enough for the firework show to commence. The explosion of colors lit up the dark sky and held its audience captive, serving as a conclusion to the annual festivity.
Photo by Casey Chapter
