Medway Pride Day May 19th

Medway Pride Day will take place this year on Saturday, May 19, 2018 from 10 a.m. to 4: p.m. at the Medway Middle School (45 Holliston Street). In the event of severe weather, Medway Pride Day will be cancelled. Planning for this year’s event, attended by over 2,000 people each year and bringing local residents, businesses and organizations in the town of Medway together, “is going great,” says Sarah Stone, in her third year on The Medway Pride Day Committee, all volunteer Medway residents.
“We have a lot of exciting new things that are going to be added (this year),” says Stone. “One of the fun items is that Medway Animal Hospital will be hosting a Teddy Bear Clinic. Basically, we’re asking kids to bring their teddy bear or other stuffed animal to Pride Day, and they will perform a checkup, and if there’s any bandages necessary or any improvements that need to be made, they’ll take care of it on the spot. I’m so excited the animal hospital is willing to do this. It’s something we’ve actually been trying to get.”
Medway Pride attendees will also have a chance to see Henry the Juggler perform at noon.
“Then, he’ll be able to stay to teach folks who are interested in learning the art of juggling,” says Stone.
New musical acts this year include Dan Rice, a local high school student who leads the Dan Rice project, and The Leeds Band, at 2:30 p.m., with a mix of rock and pop music. Two of Us, which features Dale Freeman and Steven Higgs, will return this year to perform at 11:30 a.m.
Dance programs will include work by Step by Step Studio of Dance and Oui Dance, says Stone.
Of course, Medway Pride Day wouldn’t be the same without starting with the Bike Parade, in which kids can come with decorated bikes for a few fun laps around the track. If your elementary school child would like to participate in the bike parade, please email Susan Alessandri at susan.alessandri@gmail.com by May 12th with your child’s name, age, grade and t-shirt size.
The first 75 participants will receive a t-shirt.
If you like to volunteer, then this is a fun cause, says Stone. “We’re always looking for volunteers,” she says. “We have a nice group of students that help out, the National Honor Society students from the high school will be helping, as well as volunteers from the Relay for Life and the Finance group at the high school.” In particular, volunteers are needed for the children’s activity tent and the welcome tent, says Stone.
Some old standby’s will be there, including Medway Democratic Town Committee grilling up food, Charles River Chorale with cotton candy, Tina from T.C. Scoops, Palumbo Kettle Corn, gourmet hot dogs by Charlie Dogs and Kona Ice with Italian ice.
For families, the trackless train will once again be running all day, and the Medway Fire Department will be providing emergency vehicles for kids to explore. A number of inflatables will also be a draw, with a variety for older kids and adults as well as a traditional bouncy house for the wee folk. These include a 22-foot slide, a bungee run and a really large obstacle course.
Activities at the children’s tent and the inflatables cost tickets that will be $1 each, with discounts for buying several at a time. All children’s activities, however, do offer a prize for participating.
At press time, Major sponsors of Medway Pride Day this year included Middlesex Savings Bank, Especially for Pets, Dunkin Donuts, Exelon and Reliant Medical Group.
Medway Pride Day is supported solely by donations and the sale of raffle buttons. All funds raised at Medway Pride Day are donated directly back to the community.
More information on Medway Pride Day is available on its Facebook Page. Hope to see you there!