Widow’s Son Lodge 519 will be the sponsor of this year’s Roanoke Rapids Christmas Parade.

“We’re going to cooperate with them in any way we can,” Mayor D.N. Beale said this afternoon.

The mayor said the city has funds the Halifax County Arts Council had when it ran the parade last year that will be turned over to the lodge.

The arts council agreed to not sponsor the parade this, opting to stay within its aim to promote awareness and education of the arts within the community.

Mike Reaves, of the lodge, said the decision was made at a recent meeting to sponsor the parade. “The kids deserve a Christmas parade,” he said.

While the lodge plans to have plenty of Shriner activities in the parade, it wants participation from throughout the area, Reaves said. “We want quality participation.”

Reaves said, however, the lodge will need the support of the community to hold the parade. “We hate to come with our hands out but we need help to pay for it,” he said.

No date has been set for the parade but Reaves said the lodge is leaning to a daytime event.

For more information contact Reaves at 252-673-0719 or Dennis Runley at 252-203-1705.