Florence to host Labor Day bash
With Labor Day just 26 days away, things are gearing up around Florence for its annual celebration. The Labor Day Committee has been working since the first of the year to come up with three days of fun and entertainment.
On the morning of Aug. 30, the third annual Labor Day Sand Volleyball Tournament will take place. As last year, there will be two divisions: an amateur division with two-man teams that starts at 10 a.m., and a skilled division with six-man teams that starts at 1 p.m.
Each team member must have a Labor Day button to register. Buttons will be available at several locations, including the registration table.
The tournament will be set up in single-elimination format, with cash prizes for winners. Rick Burcky is the organizer. He can be reached at 620-878-4498.
The Soap Box Derby will take place at 2 p.m. Aug. 30. This is a longtime favorite event for the kids, one that parents also enjoy helping prepare for.
If you have questions about rules or specifications for the race cars, this year's organizers are Clint and Sarah Cope, who can be reached at 620-878-4294.
A new event this year is the Pinewood Derby on Sunday, Aug. 31. Traditionally a Boy Scout event, the Labor Day race is open to all ages, boys and girls, with prizes offered in several categories.
Sign-in will be at noon Sunday at Veterans Park, with the races to begin at 1 p.m. Duane mcCarty has organized this event, and there are still kits available for sale. He can be reached at 620-382-6595 for information about the race.
The line-up for the parade on Labor Day, Sept. 1, will start at 10 a.m. This year's theme is "Florence, More Than a Whistle Stop." The theme is evocative of Florence's beginnings as a turnaround for the newly-built Santa Fe Railroad, which ended with a roundhouse in Florence.
The committee would like to see floats and other entries commemorating those railroad beginnings, and also showing Florence's hopes for future growth.
