ENGLEWOOD —After a two-year hiatus the Englewood Back-To-School Parade is returning this year thanks to a longtime Englewood resident.
The parade begins at 10:30 a.m. at the corner of 55th and Halsted streets on Aug. 23. It will travel down Halsted Street to 67th Street before moving over to Marquette Road and ending inside Ogden Park, 6500 S. Racine Ave.
A family picnic that runs until 4 p.m. will conclude the event.
Alds. JoAnn Thompson (16th) and Roderick Sawyer (6th), whose wards include portions of Englewood, are sponsoring an 8:30 a.m. breakfast at Sikia restaurant, 740 W. 63rd St., for elected officials, corporate sponsors and community partners.
But had it not been for Englewood resident Nicole Vaughn, 38, the parade still be a thing of the past.
"I did not want another year to go by without the parade so I joined forces with others to make this happen," said Vaughn. "It's time for Englewood to get back to its roots and do our own thing."
The nonprofit I Grow Chicago and Englewood resident and entertainer Maurice "Pha'tal" Perkins also helped organize the parade, which was founded in 1963 by the late Willie Pittman, an Englewood resident.
"This parade is totally free. Anyone who wants to have a float or march in it can do so for free," Vaughn said.
She estimated the Englewood parade will cost $10,000 to produce and so far $5,000 has been raised. Graham Funeral Directors and Cremation Services LLC in Gage Park is a parade sponsor, according to Vaughn.
Tameka Lawson, executive director of I Grow Chicago, said her organization would provide free yoga demonstrations at the picnic.
"We [I Grown Chicago] support bringing back the parade to Englewood," Lawson said.
Vaughn said Pittman's nephews told him one reason Pittman started the parade was because Englewood youths could not afford to travel to the Bud Billiken Parade in Bronzeville or pay fees to march in it. He also wanted to provide youths with an alternative to gangs and negative influences within the community.
After Pittman's death in 1986, his wife and nephews Lionel, Kenny and Anthony Pittman ran the parade followed by Englewood resident Justine Mosley, who ran it the last 20 years.
"That's why it is important to bring the parade back. First, the parade is a part of Englewood's rich history, and secondly the parade is a way to get the community involved and help restore community pride," said Vaughn. "Lastly, the parade's purpose is to encourage our youth to stay in school and provide a fun-filled day while promoting a day of peace."
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