NORWOOD — As the 2020 Presidential election nears, both Republican and Democratic sides are reaching out in hopes to win the vote of the people.
In doing so, some creative ways to show support have surfaced. One way which has spread across the nation is the Trumptilla boat parade which originally started in Jupiter, Florida, back in May of this year.
With COVID-19 keeping so many people isolated; this was one way to gather from a distance.
Tillery Trumptilla 2.0 took place Saturday, Aug. 29 at Lake Tillery, and was originally planned to begin at 11 a.m. The forecast showed strong rains from hurricane Laura arriving around noon, so event coordinator Kim Loflin thought it best to postpone until 2 p.m..
The storms were fast-moving and cleared out quickly.
“We will not let any hurricane stop us,” said Loflin.
The opening ceremony was hosted by Woodland residents Danny and Barbara Honeycutt, as well as Army veteran Larry Tarlton.
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“We need to get Trump back in the White House again, and I am willing to do whatever I can to help,” said Danny Honeycutt.
During the opening, Loflin mentioned how the event came into being.
“I got an email from the Trump campaign out of Washington, D.C. asking if we would host another Trump parade during the RNC campaign,” she said. “The first one we did a few months ago was very stressful (there were around 1000 boats), but I knew we need to continue to show our president we still stand for him; he is going through so much right now. It wasn’t an option for me.”
Following a prayer, Loflin’s granddaughters — 5-year-old Raya Elizabeth Loflin and 10-year-old Rory Olivia Holt sang “God Bless America.”
Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” was the next song that rang out across the lake as the presidential seal was lowered over the side railing of the Honeycutt’s deck, before all current military and law enforcement were recognized.
The next speaker to take the stand was Loflin’s mother, Linda Franklin, who spoke of her
terrifying experience when she was around age 4.
“As you can tell by the color of my hair, I’ve been around for a few years,” Franklin said. “My daughter asked me to share a story with you that I don’t think you will hear in the history books; assuming we will still have history books.
“It’s about the story of my life as a child and an experience that is embedded in my brain and will be forever and ever; one I hope that your children will never have to endure,” Franklin continued.
“I was born before Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese and lived in a little coal mining town in southern West Virginia. The threat of potential attacks by the Germans or the Japanese was a reality; we were instructed to take precautionary steps.
“At any given time, an air raid siren would sound and we had to blacken our windows and doors. There was to be no sound or lights in our community. At that time coal was a major resource; not only in our country but all over the world, so the potential that our area would be a major target grew more and more each day. The coastal communities were also threatened. When that siren sounded, my family and I would blacken out the windows and doors then we would cower in a closet with a flashlight because we didn’t know if it was a practice air raid or if it was the real thing.
“I will always recall that fear that surrounded me and my family, so please, I beg you, get to know the people that want to run our country. See what they stand for; is it an objective to protect our freedom? My years are numbered, but I pray you do everything you can to protect it. Remember always, freedom is never free!”
Loflin then spoke on how we need to make our voices heard.
“We cannot lose what our forefathers fought for,” she said.
“The Star-Spangled Banner” played as the ceremony concluded with the Pledge of Allegiance. The journey then began as several hundred boaters showed up to participate in the patriotic ride to Morrow Mountain and back.
There was a contest for the best decorated boat, which went to Ricky and Monica Moore, whose boat was decorated as the “Trump Train.” The Moores’ daughter Emily Moore and family friend Tad Freeman also helped decorate the boat.
The prize package was donated by Rachelle Marie.
“This is just a small thing to do,” said Tarlton, who helped host the ceremony and invited several people to ride on his boat. “Even though the weather postponed it a few hours, we still have to show up on Nov. 3 and do our part.
“In the meantime, we are just having fun; politics doesn’t have to be bad.”
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