First place float goes to Holy Savior Academy!

Every year South Plainfield hosts the oldest and largest Labor Day parade in N.J. It has been a yearly tradition that Holy Savior Academy comes together to celebrate and promote Catholic education by decorating, dressing up and entertaining crowds on an HSA float flatbed entered in the parade.

This year, Holy Savior Academy was awarded Best Float of the 2023 South Plainfield Labor Day Parade, the 64th in the parade’s history, due to the vibrant energy, music, and representation of the year's Labor Day theme, “Marching Through the Decades,” as well as families coming together to demonstrate their school spirit. The HSA community adapted that theme to “Dancing Through the Decades.”

This is not the first time HSA has won best float at the parade, in great part because of the way the HSA community comes together and displays love for their school, faith and community every year.

HSA students from all grade levels, Pre-K to eighth grade and their families, rode or walked alongside the float dressed according to styles of the various decades, from the ‘50s onward. Posters of the various decades encircled the float, giving tribute to the different historical events that happened during those decades.

Aboard the float, along with HSA families, was MC Steph (HSA parent and professional emcee), her sidekick, Miss Jocelyn (HSA parent) rockin' their ‘80s garb and music from DJ Elms (HSA parent and professional DJ) who brought the music of the different decades played from our float, as well as inspired the crowds to dance as the float passed by from Maple Ave., starting at the South Plainfield Community Center, all the way to the Judges’ Grandstand on Plainfield Ave. in front of the South Plainfield Middle School.

HSA thanks the Americold Corporation for its donation of the flatbed truck and our driver for donating time and allowing HSA to decorate and represent HSA. Everyone is looking forward to next year’s parade as HSA celebrates its 13th year as a school and represents excellence in Catholic education.

Submitted by Stephanie Ubungen, Holy Savior Academy PTO family coordinator.