Countryside Christian School joined a community parade at Christmastime for the first time to raise local awareness of the school in Veneta, Oregon.
The school entered the Veneta Annual Light Parade with a float built by Archie and Wayne Walter, school supporters and father-son team.
With much of the school sick during the float building time, Nathaniel Boursiquot was the only student in the small school who was able to help with the float. He helped with zip ties to hold the canvas down and keep lights in place.
Additionally, Boursiquot helped pick out the theme and related costumes, and he dressed the school’s big bear up as one of the wise men. Later, both he and his mother dressed up as wise people for the float.
The small school community rallied together to staff the float. Angela Walter, teaching principal, and her husband, Wayne, were Mary and Joseph. Archie and Penny Walter, student grandparents, drove the truck for the float. Iona and Melissa Hernandez, school board members, along with Tim Stone, Venita Church member, walked beside the float to hand out candy with the school’s name and website.
The rain stopped just before the parade began and started just as the school’s float rounded the last bend.
The most amazing experience was some people's reaction. Little girls, for example, cried out "There is a baby Jesus." Former students shouted out their greetings to school representatives. People's eyes lit up and they enthusiastically applauded as the school’s float passed by. Some bowed reverently with a soft clap as they saw the nativity scene go by.
The next day, the school family realized they had been the only Christ-centered float out of about 40 floats. Everyone had more fun than they could have imagined. Countryside Christian School is already planning for more candy to distribute and more lights for next year now that they know what to expect.
