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Queen Creek community holds parade to collect military care package items

Posted at 6:38 PM, Dec 09, 2022
and last updated 2022-12-09 20:38:23-05

QUEEN CREEK, AZ — Nearly 2,000 side-by-side owners will roll through Queen Creek Saturday night.

Their rigs will be decked out in decorations and their hearts with our troops serving all over the world.

“Let’s put a couple over there,” said Nick Masse on Friday.

Nick and his team of volunteers are placing signage throughout Queen Creek in preparation for an annual Christmas parade benefiting a cause close to his heart.

“My son tells me all the horror stories, they don’t have any supplies, so it makes me want to do more,” said Nick.

Nick’s son Jaeden joined the Navy in 2020 and is expressing the need for care packages of snacks, hygiene supplies, and even socks, items that can be tough to come by during deployment.

“They love seeing the care packages, seeing the notes and the letters in there, it just makes them feel like hey we appreciate what you’re doing there,” said Nick.

Over the past four years, he and his wife have teamed up with UTV owners across the Valley. Putting on a unique Christmas event to show those serving overseas they’re not forgotten.

“Right here is everything that has already been donated for care packages that have been dropped off at my home,” said Jennifer Masse while pointing at stacks of donations.

Thanks to the amazing hearts of the community and businesses across the state, the Masse’s will soon pack and send out hundreds of care packages to the brave men and women serving our country.

“Just absolutely heartwarming and just chills, like seriously chills from everybody willing to give back to them,” said Jennifer. "The first year of the parade we had about 35 side by side, now we're going to have a few thousand."

To thank the public for their incredible generosity a parade of nearly 2,000 side-by-sides, covered top to bottom in lights and decorations will roll through Queen Creek Saturday.

It’s not a competition but let’s just say they take the decor seriously.

“I spent about three weekends doing my rig, it’s got about three thousand lights, about seventy feet of rope light,” said UTV owner Pete Mertens.

“There’s no doubt folks look over and say oh I like what they did, I’m gonna try and top that,” said Nick with a laugh.

The creativity will certainly be on full display but so will the pride of country by honoring those sacrificing their own holiday to make sure we enjoy ours.

Staging starts at 2 p.m. at ALA Applied Technologies (7729 E. Pecos Road) and then the parade will leave promptly at 6 p.m. through 14 different neighborhoods in Queen Creek.

Donations can be dropped off at the staging area prior to the parade.

The parade route goes through these Queen Creek neighborhoods this year:

  • Cortina
  • Remington Heights
  • Victoria
  • Montelena
  • The Villages of Queen Creek
  • Ashcreek/Ocotillo Heights
  • Meridian
  • Ironwood Crossing
  • Malone Estates
  • Spur Cross
  • Charleston Estates
  • Crismon Heights
  • Queenland Manor
  • Teravella
  • Queen Creek Station