April 12, 2026 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Parade to raise money for food pantry

Boy Scout Troop 40 wants to celebrate America while helping the community.


During the annual Fourth of July parade, Troop 40 will be collecting food and monetary donations for Feed the Need.

Troop 40 Committee Chair Jeremy Yohnka said that the parade has grown from its original form.


In 2020, Mayor Tami Fruhling-Voges organized a safe, socially distance parade and asked Troop 40 to lead the parade, Yohnka said.


The second year of the parade Troop 40 did a fundraiser to purchase new American Flags for the High School. 

“We received a lot of donations for flags, so we decided for the following year to collect food and money for the food pantry,” Yohnka said.


For years, the Cub Scout Pack has for done a yearly food collection at one of their pack meetings. 
So the Troop decided to do the same during a 4th of July parade. 


This will be the 4th year for collecting food and money for the food pantry.


“The Troop has averaged between $300-$400 in donations each year, along with food donations,” Yohnka said.


Yohnka said it is important for the community to keep this tradition alive.


“The food pantry provides such a great service to the community, to ensure food is on the table for families,” he said. “I have a personal connection to this service.  So as long as I’m able to, there will be a 4th of July parade.  Not only to celebrate the birth of our nation, but to collect donations for the food pantry.”


Anyone wanting to participate in the parade needs to line up at 6 p.m. at St. Joseph Middle School.


The parade will take 45 minutes to complete.


The parade will have 3 awards: “Most Patriotic,” “Best Golf Cart” and “Best Overall”.


Winners will receive a gift card to a local business. In addition, Any American Flags that need to be retired will be collected as well during the parade.

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