To the Editor:

The GFWC Franklin Junior Woman’s Club is deeply saddened by the fact that there may not be a Downtown Franklin Christmas Parade this year.

After eight years of pouring our heart and soul into the event, it was with heavy heart that the club decided not to continue to spearhead the event following the 2007 parade.

Like most local organizations, a severe decline in membership and an even further decline in funding have affected many projects that are near and dear to us, including the parade.

Because this wonderful holiday custom means so much to us and to the community, we have worked with the Downtown Franklin Association for the past year trying to find an organization to continue the tradition.

Until a couple of weeks ago, we thought that the show would go on; and, like many others, were extremely saddened to hear that it may not.

Organizing an event such as the Christmas parade takes several months of planning, lots of manpower the day of the event, funding to cover liability insurance among other things and cooperation with the city in filing the required permits and providing the assistance of the Police Department and Public Works.

Thankfully, a few organizations have expressed interest in taking on this project for 2009 and our organization is, as always, willing to assist and provide all of the information needed to bring the parade back to our community.

In the meantime, we will continue to do our other holiday projects, including hosting a Breakfast With Santa event at the Applebee’s Restaurant on Saturday, Dec. 13, and providing Christmas gifts and boxes of food to families in need through our Operation Merry Christmas project.

This project, in its ninth year, provides food and all gifts for approximately six to eight families each year, with an average of 15 to 18 children being served.

It is through giving to others at this time of year that the true spirit of Christmas is shared, and we hope that in this time of continued economic crisis, we can all pull together to make sure that every local child has a very Merry Christmas.

Have a happy holiday season.

The GFWC Franklin Junior Woman’s Club