Loss of Golden Egg Won’t Stop Mother Goose

Despite a financial mix-up that threatened to doom the 39th annual Mother Goose Parade, it will again march down El Cajon’s Main Street on Sunday with floats, bands and, of course, Mother Goose.

Mickey Mouse will serve as grand marshal for this year’s parade, which will feature 21 floats, 18 bands and the Budweiser Clydesdales. The two-hour parade for children will wind its way down the 3.5-mile route at 1 p.m. Sunday, starting off at Madison Avenue and Magnolia Street.

There was a possibility the parade would be discontinued or cut back after the loss of $25,000 of expected county money, according to Edward Murphy Jr., president of the Mother Goose Parade Assn.

Dianne Jacob, executive assistant to Supervisor George Bailey, said the association lost the $25,000 subsidy when it failed to follow up on its application to the county. She added that although Bailey is very supportive of the parade and plans to attend, it was not feasible for the board to reconsider the funding request.

In 1983 the board allocated $25,000 to the parade and gave $20,000 in 1984 in an effort to help it gain national acclaim, said Walt Ekard, top aide to Supervisor Brian Bilbray. The parade’s organizers failed in their attempt to gain national attention by bringing in celebrities, he added.

The association is still working toward having the event televised nationally next year for its 40th anniversary, according to Jesus Longoria, the parade’s public relations director. KUSI-TV (Channel 51) will broadcast a taped version of the parade locally Sunday, and the Disney Channel may broadcast taped portions of the event, he said.

The deficit was partly alleviated by money raised from the pageant to pick a parade queen, Murphy said. The 70 contestants involved in the pageant raised money by selling advertising, memberships in the Mother Goose Parade Assn., and tickets to the event’s Coronation Ball, held last weekend.

Danielle Hickman, a 15-year-old sophomore at Granite Hills High, was crowned queen of the parade at the ball.

After newspaper reports of the $25,000 snafu appeared, money poured in from citizens and businesses throughout the community, according to Marilyn Murray, executive secretary for the association. Assemblyman Larry Stirling (R-San Diego) donated $500 from his campaign fund, and his campaign committee raised an additional $7,000, she said.

Murphy said the parade is working under a $107,000 budget, and the association has yet to determine how much money has been used to keep this year’s event alive. He added that the parade will be “bigger and better than ever” despite the financial troubles.