Fil-Ams to showcase beauty queens in Skokie-Morton Grove July 4 parade

CHICAGO—July 4^th is Independence Day in America, but the Philippine Independence Week Committee (PIWC) is making it known to Fourth of July parade-watchers in the Villages of Skokie and Morton Grove, two contiguous communities just north of Chicago, that it is also celebrated as Philippine American Friendship Day.

Dely Villalon, PIWC board of trustees chairperson, has contracted a float for the villages’ parade on July 4^th that will showcase the group’s 2017 beauty queens, who were crowned on the recent Philippine Independence day dinner-ball, June 17.

The Skokie parade will start at 12 noon from the Oakton Community College , corner Lincoln Ave. and Skokie Blvd. and will end at the Oakton Park, northeast corner of Oakton Street and Skokie Blvd.

CBS news anchor Rob Johnson will be the celebrity announcer for Skokie’s Fourth of July Parade. CONTRIBUTED

The celebrity grand marshal for the Skokie parade is Dave Kaplan, ESPN radio host of Kap & Co. Kaplan also writes for the Chicago Tribune. Rob Johnson, CBS (Channel 2) news anchor will be the celebrity announcer for the day.

The Morton Grove parade will start 2:00 p.m. at the corner of Dempster Street and Central Ave. just west of the Edens Expressway and will end at Dempster and Fernald Street.

The PIW will be joined by the Filipino Americans of St. Martha Catholic Church led by Village trustee Ed Ramos.

PIWC 2017 Chairperson Lourdes Livas will lead the eight beauty queens, including Mrs. Philippines Geraldine Gaden, Miss Philippines Joi Hunter, Little Miss Philippines Noami Polintan and Little Princess Alpha J. Ramos.

For those interested to join the parade, call Ms. Villalon at (224) 623-9847 or email Mariano Santos at [email protected]. Meanwhile, PIWC appreciation dinner is scheduled on Saturday, July 15, at the Avalon Banquet Hall in Des Plaines. For reservation, call Mrs. Lydia R. Tayco (773) 733-2998.