Ramon’s Village brought it’s A-Game to the 9th Annual San Pedro Holiday Boat Parade with an brilliant show of lights that had Santa Claus riding his sleigh filled with Christmas Trees, a parrot, shark, dive flag and two giant pineapples being pulled by sea turtles. The top boat of the evening dazzled onlookers with its show of color and cheer.
After being picked up by a new committee of volunteers headed by Dee Regis Vasquez of Wayo’s Beach Bar & Aqua Vista Beachfront Suites and Britney O’Daniel of Sandbar Beachfront Hostel & Restaurant the Holiday Boat Parade was back in action after it was cancelled for 2015. The new team rushed to find sponsors and made a great effort in gathering participants for the parade.
On parade day, Monday, December 21, 2015, fifteen boats lined up for the fun and hundreds of residents and visitors crammed onto piers, beach areas and viewing stations to enjoy the spectacle of lights on the water. There was a crab chasing an angel, Santa riding a train, Christmas trees, a giant truck and plenty hundreds more lights that decorated the evening shoreline. The San Pedro Holiday boat parade was deemed an even bigger success this year.
Click Link to Watch Video: https://youtu.be/ISqTgn3YHug
San Pedro Holiday Boat Parade Committee posted the following on its Facebook Page:
“We are very pleased to announce that from the 2015 San Pedro Holiday Boat Parade, we have raised $9,000 that will benefit local Belize charities! San Pedro, you have left us amazed at what the power of a community can do together. Please like and share this post; we need to thank everyone we can get a hold of for their support.
Wow! San Pedro, YOU did this. The amount of support that was realized by the community was incredible. San Pedro, YOU came together and organized your boats. YOU made some amazing creative spectacles. YOU helped keep this tradition alive. YOU donated your time, services, cash, and prizes to help make so many more lives better through this holiday season.
Seriously, wow. We would like to thank every single person and business involved, but this specific post is about YOU. So take this moment. Pat yourselves on the back, and be very proud of what you have done for YOUR community. Kudos, San Pedro, and thank you for your amazing display of the power of unity.”
Proceeds amounting to the total of $9,000 collected during the event benefited five local island charities. Monies raised were distributed as follows: $3,342.50 for San Pedro Food Bank, $3,342.50 for Saga Humane Society, $1,017.50 for Ambergris Caye Elementary School, $897.50 for Belize Red Cross and $300 for Liberty Children’s Home.
Below are the winner’s of this year’s grand parade:
Ramon’s Village celebrates first place
1. First Place – Ramon’s Village, Miss Zetti, Captain Rick Sutherland
2. Second Place – Coco Loco’s & Caye Coffee, Way-Lin-Eh, Captain Wayne McRae
3. Third Place – Palapa Tours & Truck Stop, Mojo Rising, Captain Ben Popik
4. Best Small Local Boat – Uprising Tours, Captain Erik Henkis, Sponsored by The Phoenix
Honorable Mentions:
* ACES Charity Boat ‘Miss Ness’ sponsored by 12 Belize & Belize Diving Adventures
* Captain Ben Robinson ‘Baby Boy’ sponsored by Marbucks & Palapa Tours
* Captain Jose Luis Zapata ‘Gaven’ sponsored by Jose Luis Zapata Studios
* Captain Kevin Smith ‘YOLO’ sponsored by Kevin and Heather Smith
Judging the event were San Pedro Mayor Daniel Guerrero, Miss San Pedro 2014-2015 Michelle Nuñez, Editor of the Ambergris Today/iTravel Belize Dorian Nuñez, San Pedro AIDS Commission President Felix Ayuso, Associate Editor of The San Pedro Sun Mary Gonzalez and guest judge Rochelle Lamb.
Second Place – Coco Loco’s & Caye Coffee, Way-Lin-Eh, Captain Wayne McRae
Third Place – Palapa Tours & Truck Stop, Mojo Rising, Captain Ben Popik
Best Small Local Boat – Uprising Tours, Captain Erik Henkis, Sponsored by The Phoenix
Captain Jose Luis Zapata ‘Gaven’ sponsored by Jose Luis Zapata Studios
Judges for the parade
After witnessing the huge success of this year’s parade, San Pedro Mayor Danny fully gives the endorsement and assistance of the San Pedro Town Council for future parades
Captain Kevin Smith ‘YOLO’ sponsored by Kevin and Heather Smith
– photos by Jose Luis Zapata Photography
