YOUR AD HERE »

Red, White and Tahoe Blue selects 2013 grand marshal, volunteer of year

Special to the Bonanza

File photo

Free booth space for RWTB Community Fair

The Red White and Tahoe Blue Community Fair is offering free booth space to any nonprofit organization in the region to take part in what has become one of the largest events of this four-day festival on the north shore of Lake Tahoe.

The Fair is scheduled for July 6 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., during which thousands of locals and visitors partake in family festivities and patriotic salutes on the Village Green. Last year more than 60 nonprofit groups took advantage of the opportunity to share their information and raise money for their specific organizations.

Registration forms and more information is available at http://www.redwhiteandtahoeblue.org or by calling the festival office at 775-298-1010.

With this year’s Red White and Tahoe Blue theme of “Tahoe Salutes Our Heroes,” the festival’s board of directors this week selected two of the community’s most celebrated heroes, in Linda Offerdahl as grand marshal for the 2013 parade, and Marty Koch as 2013 Volunteer of the Year.

Linda Offerdahl — 2013 RWTB Parade grand marshal



“We all know there is a tremendous amount of work and dedication behind the scenes that really make each year’s festival come together,” said RWTB chairman Jim Smith. “Our selection of Linda Offerdahl is an iconic example of what our Grand Marshal award is all about. Linda has been involved in Red, White and Tahoe Blue from the very beginning and has run full steam ahead in her own special way each year to ensure our patriotic salute was well-known throughout our community.”

“We all know there is a tremendous amount of work and dedication behind the scenes that really make each year’s festival come together. Our selection of Linda Offerdahl is an iconic example of what our Grand Marshal award is all about.”
Jim Smith
Chairman, RWTB

As owner of the Dress the Part(y), Offerdahl chose to be the first parade sponsor and has supported the same sponsorship since the festival’s start back in 2006.



“It’s an honor to be the symbolic head of the parade which we sponsor — yet I know it’s a tribute to me and I feel honored to be part of this community and to be recognized for my efforts,” Offerdahl said.

“The whole mission of Red White and Tahoe Blue really dovetails well with Dress the Part(y),” she added. “We are dressing the town to salute those who dedicated their lives to our freedom today. We’re just thrilled that Red White and Tahoe Blue has taken on the mission of celebrating our nation and patriotic roots while it offers some of the finest events that any town in America would be proud to host.”

Offerdahl has been part of the Parade Committee as well as the Town Decorating Committee since their inception. This year, she’s more involved in the parade and town decorations than ever before.

“We have some special surprises planned that will really be a nice addition to the parade route and all of the event venues,” she said. “My staff loves this time of the year as they help all the kids decorate their bikes, our local businesses decorate their floats and provide décor suggestions for anyone who needs our expertise.”

Dress the Part(y) is involved in endless nonprofit events like Red White and Tahoe Blue, Offerdahl said.

“We donate net proceeds to any nonprofit that needs the help. In a small town, everybody does what they can to help each other,” she said. “My business was built on a mission to develop a concept that would be fun yet fulfilling for my home town. I wanted to be able to say ‘yes’ to anyone who needed a donation to keep their own missions alive.”

Although Offerdahl is well-known for her generosity and creativity, she’s also a symbolic resident with persistence to revive Incline Village into a thriving community — as she was the brain-child behind the Incline Community Business Association which today has more than 100 members.

Marty Koch — 2013 Volunteer of the Year

“Each year, Red White and Tahoe Blue strives to build our program to offer the finest events and new traditions for our community and visiting guests,” Smith said. “With more than 100 volunteers each year, we decided it was time to create a Volunteer of the Year Award.

“Once we reviewed all of the relentless efforts Marty Koch put forth on our community’s behalf, it was an easy decision.”

Koch donated endless hours of his time and varied talents within a 10-day span prior to, during and after last year’s festival, Smith said.

Koch worked with the Lantis Fireworks crew to set the celebratory explosives on the barges in an effort to ensure a safe and colorful event. He then stepped in to help repair the Lantis Fireworks’ boat that broke down during the strategic hauling of the supplies.

The next morning at sunrise, Koch was down at the Village Green laying out and striping 60 booths for the Community Fair and assisting vendors with set-up and break-down efforts.

Just when Koch thought his commitment to the cause was completed, he saved the day when the DJ that was hired for the Village Fair did not show up.

In his own quiet way, Koch called a few neighbors who helped gather sound system equipment in time for the fair and commemorative Salute to the Veterans show.

When all was said and done, upon departure from the fair, he saw the that beer vendors needed a little more muscle to get their products into the Beer and Brats event and spent the final hours of his day making sure those who provided their beer donations to our community had the help that they needed — yet didn’t expect.

“I was only doing what I do to help,” Koch said. “My father was in the 10th Mountain Division in World War II, so it pleases me to no end to do my very small part to show my appreciation for all of the military across America. It’s really an honor to receive this award yet the honor belongs to all of the volunteers.”

“Each year we see more and more volunteers stepping-up to help make each event grow and prosper,” added Smith.

“Volunteers are always welcome to join in the fun.

This year, every volunteer will receive a commemorative T-shirt that was designed by 11 year-old resident Kylie Ludviksen as part of the festival’s new T-Shirt Contest.

For complete information on how to volunteer for the 2013 event, visit http://www.redwhiteandtahoeblue.org.


Support Local Journalism

 

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Lake Tahoe, Truckee, and beyond make the Sierra Sun's work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Your donation will help us continue to cover COVID-19 and our other vital local news.