Sarah Krom spent many years helping coordinate Great Bend’s Home for the Holidays Parade, so it is only fitting she will be the grand marshal at this year’s parade on Nov. 30, Great Bend City Coordinator Christina Hayes told the city council this week. The late Joe Boley, who was in line to be the grand marshal last year when the parade was canceled due to bad weather, will be the honorary grand marshal.
The Home for the Holidays event is always on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Hayes said the theme for this year will be announced in October.
“Each year, we get to honor one person as grand marshal who is a staple in our community for doing good things,” Hayes said. “(Krom) shared in the Christmas spirit every year by planning this beloved parade for 12 full years. It’s only fitting that we honor her incredible hard work and commitment by naming Sarah Krom as the 2024 grand marshal for the Home for the Holidays festival.”
The organizers had already planned to make Boley the honorary grand marshal. He passed away on Sept. 4. He was 92 years old.
Before she retired from Sunflower Diversified Services about five years ago, Krom had devoted almost 36 years to people with intellectual disabilities and delays while serving in numerous positions at Sunflower. Krom, a Great Bend High School graduate, held managerial positions in residential, transportation, employment, community habilitation, production, recycling, human resources and medical supports. She also worked in production sales, community employment, case management and strategic planning. Her last title was chief operating officer.
Boley was a retired band teacher and Great Bend City Band director. The theme for last year’s Home for the Holidays was to be “The Music of Christmas.”
Boley has been a Great Bend resident for more than 60 years, and was a band director at Great Bend High School and Roosevelt Junior High School. He served on the Barton County Historical Society Board and has been president of Golden Belt Community Concert Association.
In addition, Boley released a book about the band directors of Great Bend.
Area 25 Conference
Hayes made this report to the Great Bend City Council on Monday, as everyone was getting ready for the Great Bend Airport Airfest (Sept. 20-22). That wasn’t the only big event this week, she said. Great Bend welcomed the return of the Kansas Area 25 Conference for Alcoholics Anonymous, with Al-Anon participation, also taking place Friday through Sunday. “So hotels will be full if you’re having family or anybody coming in this weekend.” Some Area 25 Conference attendees were set to arrive on Thursday, she noted. This is the second year of three years that Great Bend will host the conference.
Murder Mystery has begun
Hayes also noted that City Administrator Logan Burns is the victim of a fake murder to be solved by downtown shoppers at this year’s Murder Mystery. All of the city council members are suspects. To solve whodunnit, shoppers will visit participating businesses on Thursday evening, Sept. 26, to collect clues. By eliminating pieces of evidence from a play card, they can fill out a form for a chance to win prizes at participating stores. When they think they have solved the mystery of who killed Logan Burns, at what business and with what weapon, they can turn in the completed play card by noon on Friday, Sept. 27, at City Hall or the City Hall drop box at 1209 Williams St. by noon on Sept. 27.
