Senate District 50 Republicans (SD50 GOP) have marched in the Bloomington Heritage Days Parade for years, but they will not march this year.
The SD50 GOP registered for the parade in June and awaited word from the organizers of its approved position. The Heritage Days Board finally notified the SD50 GOP volunteers on August 31st that the application was, in essence, denied. Their reply said that “We are not accepting registrations for political office this year.”
In reply, the SD50 GOP noted that the organization is a nonprofit that does not represent any candidates. The Board representative answered that “We make no distinction between candidates and those who support them. Heritage Days is not accepting entries for political office this year.“
The SD50 GOP wishes to thank all of the volunteers that expressed an interest in marching in the parade this year. And hopes that the decision will be to return to more inclusive rules next year.
Volunteers are urged to give of their time to candidates and join them on Saturday, September 17 to door-knock in Bloomington. Sign-up on the SD50 Volunteer Opportunities page.
The Heritage Days Board is not the only local metro-area parade organizer to pass on allowing political candidates, office holders, and organizations to participate in their parades. However, the vast majority of parades continue to permit their participation.
The Heritage Days Board also dropped its annual Heritage Days Festival. The day-long event was well-attended in the past, but will not occur this year.