"Be a Hero, Become a Foster Parent" float wins Tulip Time award

"Angie Henry, licensing supervisor, deserves accolades for her great work on this," said Laura Mitchell, program director. "It was her licensing team who thought of the idea and orchestrated the whole thing, including float design, props, and more. They met weekly to plan the event." The float was constructed in Muskegon Heights and towed to the staging area by the builder on parade day. Tracy Piasecki, foster home licensor, arranged for the donated use of a pickup truck from R.E. Barber Ford in Holland for towing the float in the parade, with Tracy's husband Ben behind the wheel.

Laura Mitchell and Trish Sverns, foster care supervisor, provided lunch for the float volunteers – who included a couple and their newly adopted 1-year-old son who had just returned from an adoption celebration trip to Disney World. They joined other parents, including staff and spouses, who pushed their children in strollers behind the float. Older staff children rode on the float. The participants wore T-shirts and capes with the float’s theme, “Be a Hero, Become a Foster Parent.”

The capes worn by the LSSM group were a big hit with the crowds. Staff and volunteers really got into the superhero image as they walked beside the float, flexed muscles, ran in front of the tow vehicle, and "flew" into a superhero flying pose. (Modeling the ensemble, right, are caseworkers Ashley Oosterbaan and Katie Simmons, and Ashley's husband Mike Oosterbaan.) "The capes were actually a last minute donation, " Mitchell said. "The person from whom we ordered the T-shirts had our "Be a Hero" design on his desk, and a person who makes the capes saw it and asked about it. As soon as he heard about what we were doing, he donated some capes to us, and our T-shirt guy donated the printing of the "Be a Hero" message on them."