Grand Marshal of Joplin Christmas Parade Announced

Joplin, MO – Freeman Health System is pleased to announce State Senator Bill White will serve as Grand Marshal of the 49th Annual Joplin Christmas Parade. White is in his second year as a Missouri State Senator after spending eight years in the Missouri House of Representatives. A Republican serving the 32nd Senatorial District, White practiced law in Joplin, focusing on children, seniors and business law. White is also a United States Marine Corps veteran, and his faithful devotion to his country, community and family has given him a clear perspective on what it means to serve.

After the color guard and a procession of emergency medical services vehicles, Sen. White will lead the Joplin Christmas Parade, followed by more than 80 parade entrants. And no parade would be complete without Santa Clause, who will make an appearance, too. Four food trucks will also be there selling treats at 6th and Main.

The theme of this year’s parade is “Christmas Through the Decades.” Whether it’s a silver tree illuminated by a color wheel or floats playing carols from the 1950s, entrants are encouraged to help us relive the holidays of yesteryear. Floats will pass by a judges’ stage at 8th and Main streets to show off their cheer. This year’s judges are:

Mayor Gary Shaw

Paula Baker, Freeman Health System President and CEO

Lance Beshore, President of Freeman Health System Board of Directors

Toby Teeter, Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce President.

The December 3 parade route starts at 15th and Main at 6 pm and runs north to Third Street. Entrants will line up between 15th and 24th streets.

Funds generated by the 2019 Joplin Christmas Parade will go to your local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital, which provides assistance to children from birth to 21 years of age in a 14-county area in Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma.

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About Freeman Health System

Locally owned, not-for-profit and nationally recognized, Freeman Health System includes Freeman Hospital West, Freeman Hospital East, Freeman Neosho Hospital and Ozark Center – the area’s largest provider of behavioral health services – as well as two urgent care clinics, dozens of physician clinics and a variety of specialty services. In 2019, Freeman earned dozens of individual awards for medical excellence and patient safety from CareChex®, a quality rating system that helps consumers evaluate healthcare providers. U.S. News & World Report named Freeman Health System the Best Hospital in Southwest Missouri for 2019. With more than 300 physicians on staff representing more than 70 specialties, Freeman provides cancer care, heart care, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopaedics, children’s services and women’s services. Additionally, Freeman is the only Children’s Miracle Network Hospital in a 70-mile radius. For more information, visit freemanhealth.com.