Float brings residents, employees together

Mission at Castle Rock Rehabilitation Center residents, employees and family members enjoyed Saturday's parade.

This year, numerous residents saw the parade from a new perspective -- riding on the float or in the CRRC bus.

Destinee Rael, CRRC admissions specialist, said residents, employees and family members worked together to transform an ATV trailer into a float. Rael said employees decided to make a 50s-themed diner to go with this year's Flaming Gorge Day Parade theme, "Nifty 50s." The residents also helped put stickers with Mission at Castle Rock's logo on the bottled water they were handing out.

Records hung from the ceiling of the float and were also attached to the outside. Tables inside of the trailer were decorated in pink and white checkered table clothes, while the sides of the trailer had pink menus on it. The tables also had fake milk shakes on them.

Four residents sat on the ATV, while eight rode in the Mission at Castle Rock van.

"It involves them in Green River and the community," Rael said.

During the parade, employees, residents and family members handed out frisbees, water bottles and candy. All of those in the parade for CRRC wore 50s themed T-shirts with the CRRC logo on them. They also had a couple of girls in pink poodle skirts accompany the float.

"They all had so much fun," she said. "They thought it was a great time and a nice day."

Rael said she was really happy they were moved to the beginning of the parade. She said with the warm weather Saturday morning she was afraid the residents would have problems. However, they were moved from No. 45 to No. 7. She said it was nice to have the community do that for them. She said a local business also allowed them to finish decorating their float inside their shop because Friday's wind kept ruining the float's decorations.

All of the hard work paid off and for the second year in a row CRRC was given the first-place honor.

"We went all out," Rael said.