RACINE COUNTY, Wisc. — It’s a legacy dating back to the 1920s and a big crowd-pleaser for thousands in Racine, but the veterans who run the Boys of 76 float need help keeping the tradition going.
For 100 years the veterans at American Legion Post 310 have maintained America’s oldest living memorial float, captivating generations of parade-goers.
Post Finance Officer Tim Weidner said he remembers well seeing the parade when he was a child in 1955, then years later taking his own kids to do the same.
“It’s become such an icon in the community,” Weidner said. “Such a statement of how important veterans and military service has been to this community.”
Post Commander John Capriotti said in the early years the “Boys of 76” traveled across the country but lately it stayed closer to home.
Their biggest event is the Fourth of July parade in Racine, a three-mile-long celebration that draws in about 100,000 people each year.
“There’s a whole variety of patriotism that fills people when they see these,” Capriotti said. “It’s almost like listening to the national anthem you know where people get that spine tingling.”
Float volunteers paint themselves in bronze and remain frozen in place for a 90-minute ride, save for a few small breaks. Capriotti admits that the heat can be a bit of a challenge but also said the experience was worth the sweaty discomfort.
It’s a tradition Weidner and his fellow veterans told TMJ4’s Tahleel Mohieldin they’ll need help to maintain. Many of the parts keeping the float together are practically just as old as the tradition which makes affordable replacements hard to come by.
“The tires that we have on there by the tire code go back to 1949,” Weidner explained.
It’s the reason he set up a GoFundMe, hoping to reach out to the community they’ve served for help. The fundraiser is already gaining traction.
“The response I had was kind of overwhelming,” Weidner said. “We had one individual give us a thousand dollars cuz his grandfather was one of the original riders on the float in 1922.”
He said he’s hoping with this kind of support they can hold on to the Boys of 76 legacy for a hundred years more.
Post 310 is also looking to find better storage for the Boys of 76 in the off-season. Vice Commander Rick Luca said they currently store it in a semi-trailer which has led to water damage.
They are also looking to raise money to replace deteriorating uniforms with period-correct costumes and new float lettering.
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