Harvest of Harmony’s 2021 theme, “We are All Superheroes,” could specifically apply to the many volunteers who make the much-loved Nebraska tradition happen – volunteers like Tom Graves.
Longtime volunteers Graves and Marcia Reidy have been helping with the parade for decades, planning and organizing the fleet of cars that winds down the parade route.
Forty years ago, Graves got his start volunteering as a driver, showcasing his father-in-law’s antique cars in the parade. He started volunteering with the Harvest of Harmony car lineup in his current capacity 27 years ago. It’s a role Graves, Reidy and dozens of other volunteers have down to a science.
Grand Island Chamber of Commerce President Cindy Johnson said the effort is noticeable. The chamber organizes the Harvest of Harmony celebration.
“Volunteers like Tom Graves and Marcia Reidy are vital to the success of the Harvest of Harmony Parade,” Johnson said. “They know what is needed and they do whatever it takes to make their portion of the parade go flawlessly.”
Graves knows the routine well: “By seven o’clock we go over to Trinity Methodist Church and line up. And the reason we do that is the (Miss Harvest of Harmony) candidates come about that time. We also haul the parade marshals and that sort of thing, so it takes typically about 40 cars. We line them up in the streets a block long, and we put them in three different lines.”
Planning the car lineup takes a team of about 20, he said, and planning begins well in advance.
“During the year we try to meet once a month and determine what’s the best route, what the parade is going to be called, things like that,” Graves said.
The day of the parade, more volunteers arrive to help keep things motoring.
As much planning goes on, he said, there are some things that can’t be controlled.
“Through the years that I’ve been involved we’ve been very fortunate. We have a little bit of rain occasionally, but not much of anything,” Graves said. “It’s a bit of a problem with convertibles because we don’t want the convertible top down and getting wet, plus we don’t want the (queen candidates) getting wet as well. One year we called and told everybody, bring an umbrella if you can. Luckily, it didn’t rain.”
There have been a few appearances by snowflakes on the parade route during the years, too, he said.
Unusual vehicles — new, old and in-between — also make appearances. Graves said he can remember one particular predicament.
“Tom Dinsdale, who is one of the sponsors of the parade, had a brand new Corvette that he was going to bring and sold it the day before. When he showed up in the morning, he said, I don’t have the Corvette anymore — all I have is this BMW.”
Vintage fire trucks, Model T’s and Model A’s have cruised the route. It is the Graves’ family, though, that has some of the most unique vehicles involved: a 1928 Chevy and a 1932 Chevy.
“Those are typically the two oldest in the parade,” he said.
Keeping cars like his family’s Chevrolets rolling down the street alongside bands and floats takes organization and backup plans, Graves said.
“If we weren’t there, it would be a mess,” he said.
“Eunice Alexander, for a number of years, was the person that got everything mixed together. The bands come down one street and the floats come down another street. Then they have to put them together and figure out how that works. (Alexander) has to have a backup or two.”
Putting on the event takes a lot of different people with just as many different talents and gifts, Graves said.
“The Corvette Club is very supportive of us. There are people that are working the street so when the bands come up they know which direction to go on and how far apart to stay. There are people that are working at the stadium, when we do the competition at the stadium,” he said.
“It takes folks to tell the bands when to go on, how long they’re going to be there. The (Grand Island) Police Department is very supportive of us — they have to block intersections and help people and those sorts of things. We always have a policeman on the committee as well, and a street superintendent is always a part of that.”
“I think one of the unique things about Harvest of Harmony is that it is just that — it’s harmony,” Graves said.
