Parade honors grand marshals
Frank Barron and Dr. Paul Ferguson are selected for the Nov. 30 Christmas Parade.
Two Grand Marshals will shepherd the Rome Christmas parade up Broad Street next Tuesday night. Frank Barron and Dr. Paul Ferguson were honored at the annual breakfast to announce the marshals Tuesday at Coosa Country Club.
The Christmas Parade, which Janet Byington said will feature more than 100 floats, will march up Broad Street from First Street to City Hall at 6:30 p.m. In the event of rain, which is not currently in the forecast, the parade would be held Nov. 30.
“When you go around to ask people about these two gentlemen, you get a lot of different replies,” said Byington, longtime co-chair of the parade committee. “I got responses, ‘Well, they’re the grandfathers of Rome,’ and then other people said, ‘No, they’re really the godfathers of Rome and Floyd County.’ The one comment I heard that I think is the truest of all is they’re the go-to guys.”
Byington said Barron and Ferguson were the go-to guys when you wanted to get something done in Rome, or something done in Atlanta for Rome.
Ferguson is a native of Waycross, a retired neurosurgeon, and was president of Harbin Clinic for 12 years. Barron, a native of Rome, operated the Rome Coca-Cola Bottling Co.
Barron is a veteran of the U.S. Navy from World War II, while Ferguson served with the U.S. Army Special Forces in Vietnam.
“They have worked tirelessly for this community,” Byington said.
Their professional and personal resumes are beyond extensive, but most recently, the two co-chaired the Rome Floyd Chamber Future Industries Initiative, which was instrumental in bringing the Medical College of Georgia third and fourth year program to the downtown Rome campus of Georgia Highlands College. The initiative has also put the spotlight on attracting high technology, innovative new companies to Rome and Floyd County.
Both have been honored with the Heart of the Community Board of Governors Award. Barron received the honor in 2014 and Ferguson in 2015.
“Their tireless efforts on behalf of this community will leave an impact for generations to come,” Byington said. “They continue to leave a legacy and example for outstanding community service.”
Participants can go online to www.romechristmasparade.com to find their position in the lineup. Co-chair Jerry Rucker said it was important for groups that plan to be in the parade to follow all directions in their parade packets with respect to line-up.