Mark your calendar…the annual Hamel Lions Rodeo Parade will be held on Sunday, July 9th at 2 pm!
This traditional event has been one of the final events of the Hamel Rodeo weekend. The Rodeo runs this year from Thursday, July 6th through Sunday, July 9th.
As for the Grand Marshals in this year’s parade, we are excited to introduce you to Ron and Marlene Roberts! Ron and Marlene joined the Hamel Lions in the early 1980’s and have been very active with the Lions since joining. They both have been volunteering at the Rodeo for over 30 years! Ron was the Lions Liaison to the Rodeo Board. Their son, Joe, took over that position in 2019. As an At Large Rodeo member, Marlene has gradually assumed more duties and is now the beverage and food buyer for all the Rodeo events.
A few fun facts about Ron and Marlene. Ron served as President of the Hamel Lions for 5 years and Marlene served as President, Secretary and Treasurer over the years. They were co-leaders of the Hamel Lions Easter Egg Hunt. Both were on the building committee for the Hamel Community Building and the planning committee that helped get the Hamel Lions Foundation set up as a 501c3 charity. Marlene ran the local blood drive out of the Hamel Community Building for almost 10 years. Marlene organizes the food for the Hamel Lions Pancake Breakfast which is part of the annual Super Bowl Sunday Freeze your Buns Run. Ron ran the Hamel Lions Flea Market for 5+ years before taking turns with other Lions Members. Other than the Hamel Rodeo, their favorite Lions activity is the Haunted Acres which started in 1997. They estimate that in the last decade, the Haunted House events have raised over $260,000 for our local food shelves.
We thank Ron and Marlene for all their hard work and dedication over the years to not only our community, but all communities.
The Parade will take place in Uptown Hamel starting at Hunter Lions Park, going north on Hunter Road, east on Hamel Road and finishing at the Hamel VFW. The Hamel Lions Rodeo Parade will include bands, clowns, fire trucks, police cars, lots of candy and many other specialty acts. Guaranteed fun for the family – grab your lawn chair, find a spot on the route and enjoy the parade!
If you’re interested in having a parade entry or being a sponsor, please contact Katie Vee at hamelparade@gmail.com or 612-636-1912. Parade entry forms and Sponsorship forms are also available at www.hamellions.org under the Events tab.
