Lynn Santa parade honors late founder

LYNN – More than 100 vehicles from Lynn-area businesses, organizations and individual residents turned out to participate in the Lynn Santa Parade in memory of founder Rich Viger.The first parade since his death last January, the memory of “Mister Santa Claus” was everywhere – his name plastered on banners on both the floats filing through the streets of Lynn and on signs in the hands of parade participants on the sidewalks.Leading it all was the Viger family in his pickup truck. “It?s a miracle I can drive it,” laughed Jeanne Viger-Epstein, Viger?s sister. “But I?m proud to drive it and put a piece of Richie in the parade.”Viger-Epstein said it was the largest parade since her brother first organized it 27 years ago. “More people this year wanted to be in it because they wanted to remember Richie,” said Viger-Epstein. “He?s missed by everybody. My family misses him. He?s a special guy for everybody ? My family is touched by the outpouring of memories and Richie signs.”Before the procession left Austin Square, Viger-Epstein said she was most proud that her 86-year-old mother, Ramona Viger, was seated a few blocks away at Willis Court waiting for the parade. Viger-Epstein said even after she moved to Peabody, her mother never missed a parade.?She?s still the proud mama of everything Richie did for the city,” she said.What Viger brought to Lynn with the parade was apparent to even some who knew nothing of him or how the parade was founded. Hours later, Paul Green stood on the corner of Green Street and Lewis Street laughing with friends at the neighborhood children scrambling for the candy that was thrown to the sidewalk from the people riding in floats.After the last float came through, with Mrs. Claus and Santa waving to the crowd to send them off to the rest of the Christmas Eve activities, Green said it was his first Christmas in Lynn. “I had a rough year,” he said, “and that made me feel at home.”{{tncms-asset app=”editorial” id=”e86dec8a-6ce0-11e3-a538-001a4bcf887a”}}