November 1, 2019
More than 300 Oakland University students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends are expected to walk in the 44th Annual Macomb County Santa Parade on Saturday, Nov. 23.
This year marks Oakland University's eighth year as an event sponsor. OU again will be among the largest groups proudly marching down Main Street to usher in the beginning of the holiday season.
Presented by the City of Mount Clemens, the parade features 150 parade entries including high school marching bands, service clubs, floats, fire trucks, holiday characters and flags showcasing Macomb County communities.
If you’d like to walk in the parade with OU, please register online by Friday, Nov. 15.
On parade day, registration and refreshments begin at 8 a.m. at the OU Anton/Frankel Center (20 South Main Street) in Mount Clemens. A photo of parade participants will be taken at 9 a.m. The parade begins at 10 a.m. The first 300 people to register will receive a free Grizz sweatshirt on the morning of the parade.
For the fourth year, OU and the City of Mount Clemens are also hosting a Community-wide Food Drive benefitting the Macomb Food Program (MFP). From Nov. 11 – 21, non-perishable and canned-food donations may be made at the OU Anton/Frankel Center, OU's location at the Macomb University Center (44575 Garfield Road, UC2) in Clinton Township and local businesses and groups in Mount Clemens.
On parade day, bring non-perishable and canned-food donations to receive a complimentary pair of gloves, scarf or beanie hat.
“In 2018, our OU community – along with the City of Mount Clemens and participating local businesses and groups – collected 3,838 pounds of food for the MFP,” said Julie Dichtel, OU executive director of Macomb County Outreach. “This year, our goal is to collect 4,000 pounds of food.”
Shannon Mallory, program manager for the MFP, says, "We’re grateful to Oakland University, the City of Mount Clemens, all participating local businesses and the community for your support. Food donations are crucial to our mission to feed the hungry in Macomb County. Donations help us keep the shelves of the Macomb County hunger relief organizations and food pantries we partner with stocked with food to feed those in need.”
The MFP has collected food donations to feed residents in need since 1975. Last year, the MFP provided assistance to more than 178,000 Macomb County residents.
Barb Dempsey, Mayor of Mount Clemens, said, “OU is a true partner to our community in every sense of the word. We encourage our Macomb County Santa Parade participants, sponsors and volunteers to help us with our food drive supporting the MFP.”
About 24,500 OU alumni live in Macomb County.
“OU strives to be a good community partner in Macomb County,” added Dichtel. “Our annual food drive allows OU staff, students, faculty and alumni to make a positive impact in our community and help our neighbors in need as the holidays begin.”
Contact Oakland University at (248) 370-3910 or via email at [email protected] with any questions or for more information.
Learn more about the Macomb County Santa Parade.
Learn more about the Macomb Food Program.
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