LIVERMORE FALLS – A week ago, Independence Day Parade planners were ready to cancel the annual July 3 parade. Funds were meager, donations low and there were minimum volunteers. They were just trying to think of a nice way to tell the people in Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls

But now, the parade’s future is brighter.

Barb Scott of Livermore Falls saw the call for parade volunteers and attended the April 23 meeting.

She learned of the possibility of the parade being canceled and went home and decided she wouldn’t let the tradition die. It includes a parade down Main Street from Jay to Livermore Falls with firetrucks, emergency vehicles, tractors, floats, organizations, clowns and individuals sporting the red, white and blue pride.

She went to another Planning Board meeting and was elected chairwoman of the committee.

She had made some calls to people to help out and other members of the committee did too.

They came up with new ideas along with a couple of fundraisers to help support parade activities.

Now, Scott’s neighbor Kelly Frost is making a multicolored Army star quilt to be raffled off, and a lawn sale is set for Saturday, June 2, with a place still to be determined.

Scott has made 100 raffle tickets for the quilt to start with the price of one ticket for $5 or three for $10. Raffle tickets are available from Scott, who makes homemade decorated cakes, baked goods and candies in her business, Sweetiez, or by calling 897-3251, or from Cathy Butterfield, who owns Organic and Otherwize in Jay, or by calling 897-1001. It will be raffled off just before the parade and will be displayed on a quilt rack on a float for all to see.

Members also plan to go to school superintendents to see if they can post fliers on school bulletin boards and send them home with students.

They’re inviting children of all ages to show their creativity, talents or their funny sides by being in the parade.

Skateboarders, clowns, float makers, vendors and others are being sought.

It is free to be in the parade, and it is free to be a vendor there, Scott said.

They’ve also approached directors of bands in the two school systems, but that doesn’t seem to be going well with uniforms in for cleaning during the summer, instruments being cleaned and leaders on vacation.

Planners have reached out to SAD 9 to see if any bands there would be willing to play during the parade, Scott said.

People are putting feelers out for marching bands but most of them are booked, she said. They also need to raise the money for those bands if they’re not willing to volunteer their time.

“We’re hoping in 30 days time we’ll have enough participation that the parade will go on,” Scott said Wednesday at her home on Munsey Avenue.

“I can’t allow it to end because the young people in this community need this parade as well as the elders,” she said. “It promotes community spirit. It promotes community growth and teaches our young people how fun it can be to get involved in community events. To me it shows their pride of where they live. It promotes togetherness.”

They already have Hall’s tractors lined up from Wilton, Lovewell’s mud trucks from Livermore, alpacas, Scouts and others to march in the parade.

Anyone interested in participating or volunteering is asked to call Scott or Butterfield