Racing dogs, strippers, 'Enquirer' widow rescue parade for veterans

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Racing dogs, strippers, 'Enquirer' widow rescue parade for veterans

By TONY DORIS
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
WEST PALM BEACH — Dogs, strippers and aliens have helped save the Veterans Day parade.

Parade fund-raiser Dennis Koehler said Wednesday that the Nov. 9 march on Clematis Street, which had been on the verge of cancellation, has been rescued by contributions from Lois Pope, widow of tabloid king Generoso Pope, the Palm Beach Kennel Club, the Cheetah strip clubs and other donors.

A $2,000 pledge from Pope put organizers over the top.
"That will bump us over the $12,000 mark and the parade will go on," Koehler said.

The parade is organized by a coalition of Palm Beach County veterans groups. It was imperiled because, in the tough economy, contributions fell $12,000 short of what was needed for insurance, law enforcement and sanitation.

Some veterans groups were retreating to march in other parades because of the uncertainty, Koehler said.

But after organizers held a news conference last week to put out a financial distress call, the greyhound track pledged $5,000 and the strip clubs contributed $2,000. A couple from Boca Raton, William and Susan Abbate, sent a check for $2,500. A Wal-Mart representative called to say the company would bundle contributions from employees in the area.

Other individuals made smaller contributions. Then, on Wednesday morning, Koehler got a call from Pope.

"She just said, 'Dennis, how much do you need?' I said, 'Two thousand dollars will hit the target.' "

Pope said the gift was not an attempt to smooth over the friction she has received from a Punta Gorda veterans group that wants her to speed up fund-raising for a disabled veterans memorial in Washington.

That group is planning to picket her Lady in Red gala, a Nov. 29 fund-raiser at The Breakers in Palm Beach and the de facto kickoff of the social season.

Pope said she decided to contribute "because of the passion I have for disabled American veterans, the 3 million living disabled American veterans and counting, because of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, not to mention all those who have gone before them and those in the future."

"That's my passion in life," Pope said. "It was the right thing to do."

When all pledges and contributions are in hand, the total comes to $12,115, said Koehler, a lawyer and Vietnam veteran.

"We're happy to accept more contributions because there may be more expenses. But $12,000, the number we were shooting for, we got that," he said.

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