Lehigh Acres Spring Festival Parade

Let’s talk about the Lehigh Acres Spring Festival and their cancellation the 2016 Grand Parade.

Lehigh Acres has had a parade once a year since 1972.

And now the committee refuses to put one on why because of the so called lack of funding. But I went out and got four business in town to donate over $5000.00 to cover the parade cost and Andy Reisinger refuses to call me and take the money. Also we have left messages for their President Judy Carter and no return call. Why because it does not have to do with the money.

Status Quo must change with the Lehigh Acres Spring Festival Committee …. New Leadership must be found ASAP for this 40 year plus tradition to last another 40 years.

Follow up to the Lehigh Acres Spring Festival

The Lehigh Acres Gazette ran into Andy Reisinger at the Lehigh Acres Fire Board meeting Tuesday night he was asking the fire department to wave all fees and costs. The Fire Board did finally wave all fees and costs.

But back the Parade, we did question Reisinger about the money for the parade, “It Doesn’t Matter The Parade is Cancelled” said Reisinger.

And for allowing others to join the board, “NO Thank You” said Reisinger “They Never do any work”.

We asked him for the boards next meeting location and time and him refused to tell me, period.

So what are they hiding?

Andy Reisinger posted the following on Facebook after the Fire Board meeting.

As you may know, the Lehigh Spring Festival has decided to discontinue a long-lasting tradition, the Lehigh Spring Festival Grand Parade.

Within the past year, the cost of putting on the Grand Parade have increased by thousands of dollars, however, participation of parade participants and audience levels have steadily declined.

The decade long presenting sponsor also has steadily reduced their support over the years, and discontinued their long-standing support a few years ago.

Therefore, in the best interest of keeping the Lehigh Spring Festival as an admission-free, nine day long community event with activities for the entire family, the amount spent on just one morning, was allocated towards the general festival expenses.

We look forward to continue the tradition of the annual Lehigh Spring Festival, and to provide a family-friendly festival for the entire community!

We hope to see you at Veteran’s Park between March 11 and March 19, 2016, where we have lots of fun activities and new things planned for you!

Andy Reisinger is 100% wrong participation of parade participants and audience levels have NOT steadily declined. The Lehigh Acres Gazette has crowd photos for the past six years. The major issue is the lack of leadership … You must invite the high school bands why not invite Lehigh Senior, East Lee County, Dunbar and even the middle school bands. They would all gladly show up.

And the so called added cost of the Lee County Sheriff Office $4500 to do the parade, what the board needs is a good contact negotiator. Reisinger works for the LCSO he is not the right person to be to do this. Reisinger tried to play the blame with us outside at the Fire Board meeting, if we could raise over $5000 in less than three days why couldn’t the Spring Festival Committee do this weeks ago. Reisinger has no idea how to answer that question.

Reisinger is blaming the hospital in this sentence in his statement with naming them; “The decade long presenting sponsor also has steadily reduced their support over the years, and discontinued their long-standing support a few years ago.”

We think for the best of this community and the 100,000 people that live here today, it’s time for total new leadership on the Lehigh Acres Spring Association.