Schools work with artist to create float

The city's school students will make their mark like never before in this year's London Bridge Days parade, thanks to a collaboration among parade organizers, the schools and a local artist.

Luis Melendez, who is known simply as Luis, with the help of Lake Havasu High School students, is creating six bright yellow riding ducks that elementary school students will ride and middle school students will "drive" in the parade Oct. 25.

Jim Salscheider, the former executive director of the Lake Havasu City Main Street Association, said the idea came together after he read a story about Luis, who has built floats for the Rose Parade, in the Dec. 29 edition of Today's News-Herald.

"We'd been discussing how to get more floats in the parade," Salscheider said. "We wanted to get the schools involved with building floats and get as far into the schools as possible, not just the high school."

Salscheider contacted Luis, and he conceived the idea of the ducks, which have a tie-in with the annual Duck Derby event that benefits the Western Arizona Humane Society. Luis also designed and engineered the riding ducks.

"It's a whimsical, goofy, fun idea," Luis said.

The idea was passed on to the schools by Hector Fimbres, principal of Daytona Middle School and the school district's liaison with Main Street. Fimbres received "an immediate, positive response," Salscheider said.

LHHS art students have painted the 5-foot long, 4-foot high ducks, which are cut from extra-thick plywood donated by Lowe's. Luis is doing the required ironwork and will construct the ducks.

On the day of the parade, one student from each of the city's elementary schools will ride the duck representing his or her school, and students from Thunderbolt and Daytona middle schools will be enlisted to push the ducks.

"I suggested they do some sort of choreography. You don't want them to just march in a row," Luis said.

The whole entry should wind up being about 50 feet long, Luis said.

"It should make for a spectacular effect," he said.

After the parade the ducks will be the property of the Western Arizona Humane Society, which is sponsoring the entry, and will be available for future parades and other events, WAHS Executive Director Victoria Cowper said.

The ducks will make their debut Oct. 23 as they are ferried by a WAHS Animal Care & Control vehicle to Daytona Middle School to await the parade, Cowper said.

You may contact the reporter at dparker@havasunews.com.