Each year, the Seal Beach Lions Club looks for outstanding citizens to acknowledge as Grand Marshal and Junior Grand Marshal for the Christmas Parade, this year on Friday, Dec. 6.
Qualities include a powerful impact on the City as a whole, a sense of volunteerism and community spirit that goes beyond the typical and a clear mission to make Seal Beach a better place to live, work, serve, worship and play.
When you think about animals, particularly lost, abandoned or discarded house pets in Seal Beach, most residents and many visitors will envision the Seal Beach Animal Care Center. Almost superimposed on this image of the Center is the calm, kind, relentless effort of Dee Carey.
This year’s Grand Marshal is Dee Carey, board member and fundraising coordinator for the Seal Beach Animal Care Center. According to the Lions: “Dee exemplifies support for not only the Care Center, but also the entire community by representing the voice of those animals, who can’t speak for themselves at so many other organizations – the Seal Beach Chamber of Commerce, the City of Seal Beach, the Helen Saunder’s CatPaws organization and even the Lions.”
Carey said she was excited and surprised by the honor.
“I am completely overwhelmed by being selected as Grand Marshall of the Christmas Parade,” Carey said. “Seal Beach has been my home for 28 years, and I love living here.”
After she retired from the City of Los Angeles, Carey started volunteering with the Seal Beach Animal Care Center.
“That has been my focus ever since,” she said. “It is wonderful to be recognized, although I feel that this honor is for all of the Care Center volunteers who devote so many hours to caring for the animals.”
Carey said she plans on having her husband, granddaughter and at least one animal in the car with her for the parade.
“After all if not for them, I would not even be able to have won this recognition,” she said.
The parade will also be an opportunity to wish Carey an early happy birthday as it follows the week after the parade.
There will be more information about the Junior Grand Marshal, special judging and the parade theme for this year, “Surf, Sun and Santa” in upcoming editions of the Sun Newspaper.
Those who haven’t yet registered yet may do so at www.sealbeachlions.com.
