By Teresa Golden
Proclaim!
Every July 4th, people in the New Germany area can be sure of one thing: there will be a church picnic where they can enjoy food, games and fun. Immaculate Conception Parish has celebrated Independence Day in this way for decades, and locals look forward to the annual celebration where they can spend time with their families and connect with friends that travel from far and wide to enjoy the festivities organized by the parish.
Andrea Sossong, chair of the picnic this year, expressed the joy that she found in helping to organize the picnic and seeing her fellow parishioners come together to put on such an amazing event. Andrea has been the chairperson of the event four times over the years, and she recognizes that her favorite part each and every year is “the community coming together to celebrate and people reconnecting with old friends.” She is also proud to share that there are many individuals who take charge of managing different aspects of the event, such as the many food booths and kids games, which makes the event run smoothly and allows people of the parish to fully and joyfully participate in such a large event. Her hard work was clearly seen at the picnic, and the leadership of the other parishioners was evident in the fantastic food and fun for people of all ages.
One unique aspect of the Immaculate Conception 4th of July Picnic is the Firecracker Frolic 5K, which is organized each year by parishioner Donna Dumm. Donna has put on this event that takes place on the morning of the 4th for over ten years. Planning starts back in April and includes T-shirt design, advertising, coordinating signups, and even getting trophies and food for participants. This event is an annual joy for her to hold for her parish, and she shared that her favorite part of it is “bringing a unique event to the community for them to enjoy and getting families to exercise together.” The large group of annual participants enjoy the event that Donna plans with great joy, and she hopes that participants will do what she always strives to do-run for the greater glory of God!
The annual picnic hosts a variety of options for visitors, including food, a chicken BBQ dinner, the beer hall, kids games, bingo, a basket raffle, live music and many more options. The picnic is held each year on the fourth on the parish grounds. The many people that were at the event enjoyed themselves and were able to truly celebrate the freedoms that we have here in America!
