Students inspire peace with holiday float

Our students in art classes and their teacher Ms. Soucy are building another holiday float extravaganza! It will roll in Haverhill's 53rd Annual VFW Santa Parade on Sunday, Nov. 19th at 1 p.m. and in the Merrimac parade a week later.

This year's parade theme is "Christmas Time in the City" and Whittier students are promoting the idea of peace and humanity as part of the holiday tradition. The float features the faces of peacemakers from several cultures painted by students -- including Chief Joseph, Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, John Greenleaf Whittier, Helen Keller and Martin Luther King, Jr.   

Metal Fabrication students built a multi-sided metal tree which art students covered with peace signs and will top with a large dove, also crafted by metal fabrication students. The back of the float features a wall of graffiti with inspirational quotes from The Beatles and other artists, and the sides show city storefronts spelling out the words peace and imagine. King Kong will also be featured carrying a dove as he hangs off the Empire State Building. Carpentry students built benches and other seating for the dozens of students who will ride on the float, and electrical students are on the job, too, wiring the speakers and rotating tree.