Hank Days Parade to celebrate founding of Foothills on Saturday

Annual event celebrates hank Schechert’s impact and legacy

The annual Hank Days Parade is returning on Saturday, giving locals a chance to celebrate the Foothills community while honoring the memory of Hank Schechert, a Washington-born developer who began laying the foundation for what eventually became known as the Fortuna Foothills.

The festivities are made possible thanks to the Foothills Rotary Club, and Doreen Caldwell – the lead parade organizer for the past 20 years – shared some of the specifics for this year’s event, which is themed “Rotary Connects the World.”

“We line up at Foothills Boulevard and 47th Street, and we’ll be there to line people up at about 7 o’clock in the morning, but they don’t have to come until about 8 or 9 because the parade starts at 10 a.m,” Caldwell shared. “We go north on Foothills Boulevard to South Frontage Road.

“We’re going to have a good parade this year. We’ve got the Gila Ridge High School Band, the Young Marines, and all kinds of people,” she continued.

Regarding the parade’s namesake honoree, Caldwell explained Hank Schechert’s legacy.

“Hank moved down here and he bought property before developing the whole area. We wouldn’t have a Foothills if it wasn’t for Hank. He’s the one who founded it,” she noted. “He was a great guy, and he had so many businesses out here.”

With 2024 being Caldwell’s 20th year of putting on the event, she reflected on the experience, noting, “I have thoroughly enjoyed doing the parade, and the community spirit for this parade is utterly outstanding.”

With the parade returning to the Foothills this Saturday, locals have the opportunity to come together as a community celebrate Hank’s legacy.