You may have noticed a familiar face during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade

If you were watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Thursday morning and you thought that you caught a glimpse of someone familiar participating in the parade, then you may have been correct.

Mark White is Editor of The News Journal.

Former Williamsburg High School Band Director Zach Shannon was one of the about 400 people marching and playing as a member of the Band Directors Marching Band, which is composed of music educators from across the country. He was one of the trombone players.

For the television performance, the band played “Strike Up the Band,” “Simply Gifts,” and “Seventy Six Trombones.”

Shannon is now the band director and a teacher at Southern Middle School in Pulaski County.

Congratulations to Shannon, who made one of his one of his long time dreams come true.

I didn’t get the chance to see Shannon perform on Thanksgiving Day as I was down in Williamsburg to take pictures at the 16^th Annual Turkey Trot 5K run/walk. The annual event brought out 348 participants. Some were runners. Some were walkers.

In all, they helped raise over $23,000 for the Williamsburg Police Department’s Shop with a Cop program, which is a great cause that I personally donated to a few days ago.

For those that don’t know, the program takes about 150 less fortunate children on $100 Christmas shopping sprees at Walmart prior to Christmas so the children have presents to open Christmas morning.

I know that Williamsburg Mayor Roddy Harrison would love to increase the amount per child at some point in the future if more donations are made. With inflation, $100 doesn’t go as far as it used to go.

I also know that the city could use a few more volunteers for the event, which is scheduled for Dec. 14.

The Corbin Police Department Shop with a Cop will be held on Dec. 12. I donated to that event last year.

If you have a little extra money and you want to donate to a good cause, then either of these Shop with a Cop programs are worthy causes.

Going out to cover Shop with a Cop when they take the kids shopping is one of my favorite events every holiday season. The smiles on the kids’ faces are priceless.

If you have a little extra money, please consider donating to many of the worthy causes we have in our community each year whether it is the Corbin Rotary Club’s Empty Stocking Program, the Corbin Lion’s Club Christmas food basket program, or the South-Central Kentucky Toys for Tots Campaign, which provides toys to tens of thousands of children across seven counties, including Whitley, Laurel, Knox, Clay, Leslie and McCreary counties, as well as Campbell County, Tennessee.

While there are many more deserving programs, these are a few of the local ones that I have been personally familiar with over the years.

Before I conclude this column, let me wish my wonderful wife, Cecelia, a happy anniversary. Thursday, Nov. 30, marks the 20^th anniversary of our first date. I met her at Ruby Tuesday’s, which was pretty much everyone’s favorite first date spot back then.

I have no clue what either of us ordered, but the date went well enough for a second date and then a third date and so forth. Next Sept 25 will mark our 20^th wedding anniversary.