SWAMPSCOTT — This Saturday’s annual holiday parade is a special one for the Swampscott Police Department.
The parade, hosted by the Swampscott Police Association, will be the last for Capt. John Alex, who plans to retire. The lifelong Swampscott resident has been with the department for 42 years, said Detective Ted Delano, SPA president.
Alex, who starts off the parade each year, turns 65 next year, the retirement age for the department, Delano said.
“His dedication and support to the Swampscott Police Association over the years has been incredible, but he’s also been behind the scenes for many years at the police station to make sure things follow its mission,” said Delano. “Maybe if parade participants see him on that day, they can thank him for his service.”
The parade kicks off at Swampscott High School at 5:30 p.m. and concludes at Town Hall, where a holiday festival will be hosted by the town’s Recreation Department.
The shared mission of the event and the SPA is to help the community, Delano said. Funds raised from the parade go toward SPA, which helps offset the cost of putting on the event, but the main donation effort is a partnership with Toys for Local Children (TLC).
People are encouraged to donate toys during the parade, which will be collected by uniformed officers along the route. Toys can also be donated to the town’s Stop & Shop and police station, Delano said.
“We do it to make sure that the holiday season is enjoyed by all the community,” said Delano. “We don’t do it to raise money. This is one of our biggest events where we look to assist Toys for Local Children.”
The SPA has hosted the parade for more than a decade, but the schedule was shifted several years ago to coordinate the event with the town’s holiday festival, Delano said.
The festival runs from 5 to 8 p.m. Events include a flashlight candy cane hunt at Linscott Park at 5:30 p.m. and a tree lighting at Town Hall at 6 p.m., said Danielle Strauss, the town’s recreation director.
There will also be music, an electronic train ride, ice castle bounce house, crafts, and gingerbread house displays at Town Hall. Girl and Boy Scouts will be selling cookies and hot chocolate inside, Strauss said.
“I just think it’s really important for people to get together to celebrate the season as a community,” Strauss said.
Rain won’t cancel either event, but it could eliminate some of the festival activities, Strauss said.
