A crowd filled the outside of Nick’s Lake House and lined the lake on lawn chairs and blankets to see the annual Nicks Boat Parade on Sunday. All proceeds benefit the Lake Harmony Fire Company and Rescue Squad.

Charlotte Blackwell and Jeanne Applegate sold raffle tickets for prizes including $1,000 cash and donations from local businesses. One hundred percent of the donations go to the Fire Department and Rescue Squad. They were sold out within an hour of the event beginning.

Additional funds were raised through a tricky tray, 50/50 and food sales, with a grill and chef set up in the front parking area. Other raffles included a two hour cruise and $100 in lottery tickets. Alexis and Joe Sambuco manned the raffle ticket sales. Alexis has been an EMT for Lake Harmony for four years and explained “We’re nonprofit and this helps us purchase ambulance equipment. We had purchased an ambulance from prior proceeds and are very thankful for the community.”

Debbie Kelly and Krystal Fiorita, a member of the Quick Response Services of the Lake Harmony Fire Department, sold fire company T-shirts. Kelly had been an EMT in New Jersey, now volunteering, and her husband, a fireman for 50 years.

The band Mystery City entertained with music performed right by the lake. Their variety of songs got people up and dancing.

Everyone was eagerly awaiting the boat parade to begin. The first boat was a nod to Super Mario Brothers, with Mario at the helm. The next boat had a huge green wine bottle on the top with purple balloons representing grapes, dubbed “wino.” The third boat in the competition was Barbie. Of course plenty of pink on that boat. Then entered boat number four with smoke, lights and music. The crew were dressed up as Taylor Swift, including guys with “Security” shirts driving the boat. They stopped for a cute dance routine. The last boat of the bunch was “Dreamboat” with both Barbies and Kens and lots more pink.

Amy Dillman, owner of the “Dreamboat,” came up with the idea and got two couples “on board” with it. Everyone got out their pink shirts, pink sunglasses and of course blonde wigs for the men.

Owner of Nick’s, Lewis Pantager, asked Lisa Mooney, John McGlynn and Tony John to be the judges. They were all holding “ guest check” pads to jot down their notes to choose a winner.

Cash prizes were awarded to the winner, which was the Taylor Swift boat. Barbie and Ken’s Dreamboat placed second and the “winos” third.