Fourth of July Parade Committee

Agendas & Minutes

Agendas are available prior to the meetings. Minutes are available following approval.
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About the Committee

It is the charge of the 4th of July Parade Committee to plan, organize and raise appropriate funds for, Hingham’s annual Independence Day Parade.  The floats, marchers, and bands are provided by different organizations, both local and distant.  The fundraisers pay for the marching bands, entertainers, groups with horses, as well as the historic civil & revolutionary war marching units that everyone enjoys during the parade. The current version of the Parade Committee was created in 1992. 

The major fundraisers for the Parade are currently: the 50 Flags Campaign, annual Parade button donations, corporate sponsorships and contributions from both local and regional businesses, and residential donations. The Hingham Rotary provides us a great service by managing the sales of Parade Buttons at various local events; at nearly two dozen local businesses and municipal buildings; as well as, along the parade route on the 4th of July! 

Many local businesses provide assistance to the Parade Committee throughout the year, via in-kind donations such as design, printing, and product contributions.  These offerings assist the Parade Committee and generate additional monetary donations.  A special thanks is required for the year round assistance provided by the South Shore Country Club (SSCC) and Executive Director, Kevin Whalen, as well as Ironwood Hingham, who manage the function and restaurant space at SSCC – from offering the use of their facility for our monthly meetings, running prior golf tournaments, and providing golf carts for the day of the Parade.  More than 1,400 participants are typically included in the Parade, which requires months of planning by the Parade Committee that starts each November before the next parade

Many are surprised to learn that no tax dollars are spent on the parade, which is funded 100% through private and corporate donations. As the parade has grown, so have the expenses. The current annual budget averages ~$55,000. These expenses include the paid performers in the parade, banners for parade honorees, Parade Buttons, Red White & Blue lines on the parade route, replacement flags and installation equipment for our 50 Flags Campaign, and other specific parade day costs (shuttle buses, porta-potties, and school building uses).

Join the Committee

If you would like to be a part of the committee, or participate in the parade, or have an idea for a fundraiser, please complete our Contact Us Form or send an email to Patrick Kirk, 4th of July Parade Committee Chair, at Hingham4th@gmail.com.


Members

  • Jim Murphy, Chair
  • Monica Conyngham
  • Dewitt DeLawter
  • George Ford
  • Tom Hoffman
  • Cassie McDermott
  • Louis O’Dea
  • Mary Ellen Carlisle
  • Erin McGourty
  • William Keough
  • Leon Merian 
  • David Berger
  • Brian Doherty
  • Pat Kirk
  • Paul Callahan
  • Michelle Prager
  • Robin Briggs
  • Ian Black
  • Jimmy DeStephens
  • Police Sgt. Kilroy (non-attendee)
  • Deputy Fire Chief Louis Lachance (non-attendee)