Each year on this day as the sun rises I look forward to coming to the beach and walking the day after Band on the Sand. I go to McDonald’s for my large coffee and come park at the beach lot and slowly walk remembering where every group, each booth, the bands, the Kid zone and the food trucks rested the day before.
It’s like cracking a beer at the end of the day and admiring your hard work in the garden or a project at home. It’s a good feeling that once again we were able to provide the city and surrounding communities with an old-fashioned family fun day that included some of my fondest childhood activities. My entire youth was spent at veterans stadium selling bike tickets for my dad and the Long Beach Firemans Fourth of July show. My family can talk for hours of the memories spent getting ready for the Fourth and that extremely long day mostly for my dad who with a small group of dedicated fire fighters who believed in the community they worked in.
If I could want anything at this moment it would be to give all of the families that attended yesterday a great memory. The laughter at the hula hoop contest, the kids watching their parents at the pie eating contest, the water balloons that exploded on peoples chest, face and arms, the dancing. Parents walking around with their kids on their shoulders. The teenagers, not embarrassed to be at an event with their parents. It’s a good feeling to know that Lisa and I were part of something that will live forever as memories for families to talk about for years to come. You can’t buy it, you could only live it. A good thing.
Thank you to everybody involved who came together as a team creating a great day. Seal Beach Police Department, city of Seal Beach, all of our sponsors who include G&M Oil and Republic Services, The talented comedian Darren Carter the party starter (Judy and Steve Marmel), Lisa and Josh, rockstars. Jacqueline Johnson, you food truck queen, Ted at Elite, Kori Deleon. The bands, my Riley with the carnival games, our beautiful Miss Seal Beach girls, the amazingly Leo’s, my David and Christian Ritchie.
Thank you to all for all your hard work and commitment to our community. Until next year my friends.
By Rosie Ritchie, for the Sun