Safety first: Candy tossing banned at holiday parades; keeping children off parade route is goal

Merrimack Valley

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November 23, 2007

By Drake Lucas , Staff writer

NORTH ANDOVER - Candy flying through the air is part of the holiday parade tradition.

But as the North Andover holiday parade makes its way down Main Street tomorrow, the candy will be handed to spectators instead of thrown.

Parade organizer Sgt. Fred Soucy said it's a measure to keep children from running onto the parade route where they could be hit by one of the cars, floats or other vehicles.

"It is very hard since this is the first year making the change. Just about everybody throws candy," Soucy said. "All we are asking is they hand it out instead."

One year after an 8-year-old boy was killed after falling off a float in Portsmouth, N.H., during last year's holiday parade, communities are increasing safety measures to protect children - such as banning candy tossing and requiring railings on floats.

In Andover, Methuen and Haverhill, all parade committees have rules against candy being thrown from floats. The same is true of the New Hampshire communities of Salem, Hampstead, Derry and Londonderry.

Tom Sullivan, one of the organizers of Haverhill's Santa Parade, said some parade participants don't pay attention and still throw the candy.

He said parade organizers have to remind people on floats every year about the ban. No accidents have occurred because of tossing candy, but Sullivan said that doesn't mean they won't.

"It's definitely a safety problem," he said. "Someone is going to jump under a truck and get squished."

A child ran out into the street eight years ago in Salem, N.H., to grab some candy that had been tossed from a moving float, even though organizers have always had a policy against throwing candy. The child wasn't hurt, but organizers have added other rules aimed at keeping children safe.

All floats need railings or barriers along the edges of the vehicles. Children are not allowed to dangle their legs over the sides of floats, and once floats are moving, children are not allowed on or off.

Similar requirements will be instated this year at the Firefighter's Holiday Parade on Sunday in Andover.

Organizer Michael Dalton said floats will have railings and adult supervision. He said adults also will have clear communication with the driver - for example a whistle to blow to let the driver know to stop if there is a safety problem.

North Andover also is adding more adults and requiring that all children on floats be secured, with no feet or arms dangling over the sides.

In other towns, parade organizers said it's important for people to use common sense about safety.

Methuen had its parade with no safety problems last weekend. Organizer Jill Stackelin said individual organizations are responsible for safety, and railings are always put on floats that have children.

"We pretty much leave it up to the people with the floats," she said. "If we are walking along and we see a safety concern, we tell the parents. Pretty much common sense prevails."