The Key Biscayne 4th of July Parade with Michele Estevez
Welcome to Key Biscayne Stories where neighbors meet neighbors. Today we have Michelle Estebes. She has been a Kiwiscan resident for forty seven years. She is also the longest standing member of the fourth of July parade. How are you doing, Michelle?
Michele Estevez:Good morning. Thank you, Alejandro. I'm doing great, and I'm glad that we're gonna share the story of the Key Biscayne Fourth of July parade this morning.
Alejandro Servalli:Awesome. Before we do that, we have a quick word from our sponsors. Doctor. Bakash has been in practice as an orthodontist for over a decade, helping to create beautiful smiles in the Key Biscayne community. She's inspired by her patients to do her job better every day, and to continually learn new methods of treatment to improve the care she gives.
Alejandro Servalli:Doctor. Vakash enjoys using her knowledge of science and engineering to make a positive difference in the life of her patients. She built her career as an orthodontist on a foundation of quality education. She received her certificate of orthodontics and a master's degree in medical science from Harvard University. Doctor.
Alejandro Servalli:Bakash is a member of the American Dental Association, the American Association of Orthodontics, and the Harvard Society for Advancements of Orthodontics, and is also a certified Invisalign provider. At Bokash Orthodontics, we provide the highest quality orthodontics treatment and Invisaligning for children and adults. We are conveniently located in the heart of Key Biscayne at 240 Crendon Boulevard, Suite 106. So one of the things we'd like to do in the show before we jump straight into the fourth of July parade, tell a little bit about your background. How did you get into the Key?
Michele Estevez:I arrived to Miami in 1977. And between works and weekends, we used to come a lot to the Lighthouse Park on weekends. And I always liked Ibis Caine. Every time that I was leaving the island, I will said to myself, one day I will live here. And unfortunately, the day arrived from a tragedy that my little sister Solange, 14 years old, she was run over outside the Kiwis Kenya club on Halloween night, and she was killed, unfortunately.
Michele Estevez:And she was walking with Paula Padoman and became very close with the family and Federico, his father, that he was divorced, and we got closer and closer until we got married. And, of course, since then, 1979, I'm still here on the island. And it's a beautiful place to live and share. And that has been taking me to be part of this community and trying to really put my heart in the community.
Alejandro Servalli:You see, you are you are very active. I know you have your things that you're involved in, the fourth of July parade and the poetry share. Yes. On top of that, you are you come out. I've seen you at the council meetings and you come out to all the other events to support other organizations, so I know you're very involved in the community, which is awesome.
Alejandro Servalli:So, the fourth of July parade, how did you get involved?
Michele Estevez:With details, actually, I don't remember, but doctor Simons was the one that took me to invited me to one of the parades. I was start to get a little much involved when became a village. And I don't remember if I was already elected in the council or not, probably it was before that. And I just started attending to the meetings. At that time, those years, it was very hard to become a member of the parade.
Michele Estevez:You have to really work for two years before to be accepted and inducted to the Fourth of July Parade Committee. It was run by the Janels. Used to be the Kiwisken Bank, and that's where we used to set up the table to sell t shirts and the whole thing. It was a completely different parade. The group, the members, they got a month before fourth of July or something like that in a pickup truck to put the flags and the poles of the on Crandon and the old poles on Crandon.
Michele Estevez:It was a lot of fun that night to put the flags also. As a matter of fact, I have a flag that with the the existing flag with the pole that I save it, and that's the flag that I I close the parade. I raise that flag at the end of the parade every year to to honor those founding members of the Fourth of July parade. This year will be our sixty seventh parade.
Alejandro Servalli:Sixty seventh parade. And you were telling me before this year is the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary
Michele Estevez:Well
Alejandro Servalli:of the nation.
Michele Estevez:Yes. This year is gonna be a big parade with a lot of emphasis mainly into the two hundred and fifty years of the independence of United States. So we already start meeting, of course. We already start planning. We are trying to get more bands into the parade.
Michele Estevez:Unfortunately, because the summer is vacation, it's very hard to get bands. But believe it or not, each band cost us almost $5,000 because we have to make donations to the band for the school. We have to give a donation to the director as an incentive to get the band here. We have to rent two buses, one for the band members and the other one for the instruments because there are too many instruments. We have to feed them, of course.
Michele Estevez:And I hope that this year is coming a band from that has been come in the past from Baltimore. They have come all the way from Baltimore, so we are hoping that this year come also. And, actually, the one year, there were two bands from Baltimore And it was very confusing for us because we didn't know which one. They didn't register. They just show up.
Michele Estevez:And we thought that they were together. When we put them together, they didn't didn't know each other. So that year we have two bands for Baltimore. So to come all the way from Baltimore to here, I guess our parade have some name and reputation. They do to cover the cost.
Michele Estevez:They do pasta dinners. They do car wash. And in this it's a beautiful story how they get here, how they get the funding to get here. We also give them a donation, of course. Yes.
Michele Estevez:Last year, Parade cost us close $60,000 and the village is a big, big supporter for the parade. They allocate 40,000 or $45,000 so through the community foundation, whatever money we are short, the foundation submit the bills to the village and the village will reimburse us. So this year, of course, probably is gonna cost us more. And I already approached the council and the manager. So, like, you know, it's don't know how much it will cost, but the answer was, don't worry.
Michele Estevez:Any short of funds, the parade have to continue on the parade. Must go on.
Alejandro Servalli:The cool flyover with the with the air force, how how is that coordinated? Did you call and be like, Hey guys, can you guys fly over? Are they doing other parades too? Or is it just for us? How does that work?
Michele Estevez:Yes. We have to apply all the way to the high, high ranks in the Pentagon almost, start very, very high to get them. And, yes, they fly other parades. That's why we can't change. We have considered to move our parade for 09:00 or 10:00 so it's not that hard or earlier 09:00 but it's impossible to coordinate that.
Michele Estevez:One year there was no funding or something. We did not have them, but we have we were managed to get two helicopters, rescue helicopters to fly. Some years, the jet has fly in the wrong direction. I think with the one year they flew over Fernwood where we is the staging area. So as in there has been some little funny funny moments in there too.
Michele Estevez:Yes. Yes.
Alejandro Servalli:So, do you have to also pay for the flyover? No, we don't. Okay. Okay.
Michele Estevez:The flyover, we don't.
Alejandro Servalli:Yes. I would imagine that if there was a fee for it, it would be very expensive.
Michele Estevez:No, that one is yes. I'm sure it's got to be very expensive. Yes. Also, village waive the permit fees because we have to obtain the village permit also. We have to we are closing you know, coordinate Crandon, which is close.
Michele Estevez:We have permission until noon for Crandon, but usually it's not noon. Usually it's more 12:15. That's why we have to move the parade along very organized and quickly and for the master ceremony not to take too long there, you know, holding. We give to people that they're gonna do some demonstration, some demands, for example, that they do their thing there in front of the stage, trying to get there no more than, you know, three, four, five minutes. So, yeah, to start to delivery a parade, our first meeting actually is October, November.
Michele Estevez:And from there we start moving every month or more than every month. We communicate a lot in our chat or via email. Kiwi Skin Community Foundation is unbelievable, the support. I mean, without them also, would be very hard to move on at the same time. And so far, whatever happened in the parade, only we know behind the scenes.
Michele Estevez:But we had a delivery for sixty seven years, very, very successful parades, and we are looking forward for this year.
Alejandro Servalli:Yeah. I mean, I've been in The Quay for twenty eight years, and I have attended almost I must have missed just a handful of parades, maybe because of travel or going back home at the time, but I really do enjoy the parades. I try not to miss fourth of July here in Miami, you know, I'm very strict with that, especially recently, and recently, Keeperskin Stories has been part of the parade, so I enjoyed that too. It's like a different view, like before I've been, I watched, I've attended, I've been on the site, I've been everywhere, but now being in it, participating in that way has also been a lot of fun. So, I enjoyed it and now last year I had some friends join me, so that was fun too.
Alejandro Servalli:Had a couple of golf carts that attached to me as well. It was not part of the plan, but it was fun too. Some friends joined, so it's fun either way, whether you're in it or you're watching it, it's great. That's the parade. You guys doing the fireworks as well?
Michele Estevez:No. The fireworks is coordinated by the village of Kibiskaya.
Alejandro Servalli:Okay. Got it.
Michele Estevez:Yes.
Alejandro Servalli:Good to know. So just like I participated, there might be others that wanna participate in the parade. How does that work?
Michele Estevez:Kbefore.org is the site for whoever wants to participate in the parade. You don't have to pay for the entries. Only politicians pay. They have to make a donation. But any other person or company, corporation, organization that want to enter the parade, they don't have to pay.
Michele Estevez:They have to follow the rules that we have, but they don't have to pay. They have to show up early on the parade. We also take contributions. The parade have to be funded. We have people that every year has been very supportive of the parade.
Michele Estevez:We take any contribution, doesn't matter. This year we're going to start early to selling the t shirts that also that is fundraising for the parade. We also have the barbecue at the beach club. That also it is a little bit of a fundraising for the parade and start with the mood for the fourth of July, get people ready and prepared. So actually, oh, Kiwi Skin Community Foundation site.
Michele Estevez:Also, they have a little bit you know, you look for the fourth of July parade, and also you can see there and do the entry there for the parade. Later on, we start doing more advertisement and for people to participate. I hope that this year we sell the the t shirts fast enough that we don't have to set up a table the day of the parade. That's something that has been changed our tradition a lot. Years ago, the key was so small and was different in a certain way.
Michele Estevez:We used to have the charter choppers that was a band, a local band by Kiwi skeiners. We used to do a mini parade. I don't remember how long before the Fourth of July. And the bank was playing, and we were in a caravan selling shirts and buttons, knocking in the houses and going in the street of the condos, and people will come out. By we used to divide the island and going one night and sell buttons, especially no no shirts.
Michele Estevez:And, you know, it's it's hard to to to believe that because of the change and keep us going so many nationalities, most of the big houses or the houses there that everything start changing. They didn't know what the Fourth of July parade was. Fourth of July, I am not I will not be here because it's summer, so most of the peoples, they go back to their countries. So it it has been a lot of change on the island, so we have to become a little more creative in order to do our fundraising. But years, years ago, the parade was funded just with donations and selling t shirts and buttons and the barbecue.
Michele Estevez:Nothing else. It was much smaller parade. Of course, didn't cost us that much money. And I remember, I think that we started like 15,020 thousand dollar parade, but it has becoming bigger and bigger, of course. Everything has changed, and donation also have increased at the same time to attract people to participate.
Alejandro Servalli:Doctor. Bakash has been in practice as an orthodontist for over a decade, helping to create beautiful smiles in the KiwiScan community. She's inspired by her patients to do her job better every day and to continually learn new methods of treatment to improve the care she gives. Doctor. Bakash enjoys using her knowledge of science and engineering to make a positive difference in the life of her patients.
Alejandro Servalli:She built her career as an orthodontist on a foundation of quality education. She received her certificate of orthodontics and a master's degree in medical science from Harvard University. Doctor. Bakash is a member of the American Dental Association, the American Association of Orthodontics, and the Harvard Society for Advancements of Orthodontics, and is also a certified Invisalign provider. At Bakash Orthodontics, we provide the highest quality orthodontics treatment and Invisaligning for children and adults.
Alejandro Servalli:We are conveniently located in the heart of Kibiscayne at 240 Crennan Boulevard, Suite 106. Jose, your your major costs would be looking for the bands to participate, maybe the barricades, have to pay for the barricades?
Michele Estevez:Well, that is the village. That is part of yes. The village is part of the yes. That's what I'm saying is the villas have taken a a big part of the of the parade. Our fundraising mainly is well, we have also police.
Michele Estevez:All the police department have to be there. It's our big, big support. The police department, the fire rescue department, Todd recreation. I mean, every single one from the village is that they, you know, on the parade working or participating in a way. Mayor council members, they go to the parade and that day also we celebrate our mayor Rasco.
Michele Estevez:Mayor Rasco's birthday is July 4, believe it or not. Every year, of course. I'm talking his birthday. Come on, Alejandro. So we start with a breakfast at the Kiwis Kenya Club at 07:00.
Michele Estevez:That is where we share our last positions and job descriptions and everything else. Of the team? Yes. The committee himself from there is and from there, we have our breakfast, and everybody go directly to their post to start be ready for the for the parade. And since mayor Rasco has been elected, we invite him to the breakfast, and we sang happy birthday to him and happy birthday to America.
Michele Estevez:We do two birthdays at the same time. So, like, going back to from the village, every single employee from the village is there in the parade in one way or another. The company also whoever is the company that the village hire from that also work at the village, that right after the parade finished, they come right behind with the bags, picking it picking up everything that was left from the parade. So when the parade is done and Crando open, it's like nothing happened. Only all you see is the barricades.
Michele Estevez:So the lineup is hard to do that. We meet two days before the parade. Three members, of course, our master of ceremony because he need to know a lot of the lineup, Rudy and I, and we lie we do the lineup of the parade. I mean, we have to make sure that we don't have two bands together or whoever participated that they are in a float and they have loud speakers and music in the float. We have to break the parade and really work into it, you know, who is what.
Michele Estevez:And it has been our tradition that our favorite politician is the one that we put right behind the horses. I even remember one year our favorite politician that was running I'm sure it was for mayor Mike Davy. And Mike Davy was the one behind the horses one year. It's a lot of fun. And when they go, I mean, the first impression, the first thing is when it's their turn because the the horses, they are usually stationed at Calusa, so they come through the path and or the Cross Bridge Church, whatever.
Michele Estevez:So when they come closer and they know when they have to come, I am in charge in the lineup the day of the parade and I have to call them. So then the politician thinks that it's coming their turn and the first one there that we put behind the horses when they see the horses, it's so funny their reaction. I love it. So I go, what? Behind the horses?
Michele Estevez:Yes. And because you are our favorite politician. I mean, it's true or not? I don't know. That year we did it to Mike Davion purpose, but yes.
Michele Estevez:But our favorite politician is the one who go behind the horses every year. One way or another is not as a favorite, but we No.
Alejandro Servalli:I love it. I love it. Hey, you guys you guys I think one of the major changes was the staging area. You guys switched staging area this time allowed?
Michele Estevez:Do know? Well, no. Unfortunately, always when Raul and Karen Lorenter owned the gasoline station, they always they have this the gasoline station as a staging area for the bands.
Alejandro Servalli:For the bands. For the bands. Okay.
Michele Estevez:Yes. And this year, we have to relocate. I understand. It's a lot of inconvenience, and it's a huge crowd. This year, Saint Agnes was very, very gracious that they let us use their property to station the bands there and whoever we wanted to.
Michele Estevez:Also, I put people in charge that when everybody left, that all the trash or whatever was there that they have to be picked up and and returned the property clean. It's a lot of work behind the scenes that you have to do and coordinate. We have we offer community service hours, but so far, we have not been having serious problems with volunteers in a certain way that they come just the day of the parade. For all the bands, for the Giancanus, the steel walkers, the Thai band, we need to have somebody in a golf cart, cooler, water, cold water, and assist them in anything that they need. I recall in the years of the parade that only two time we have some incidents with well, no.
Michele Estevez:Three times, actually. One year, one of the steelworkers fainted all the way from top. That's got she kinda she kinda alert us that she was not feeling well. And when she was coming down, and for they she was Grab was a was a woman. And two years, a band participant.
Michele Estevez:So one of the band members on the parade himself, they fainted. So that's why it's very important we need to have the assistance, somebody in golf carts in the behind them and making sure that they get water.
Alejandro Servalli:I like you were telling me how you start the day. You guys are you meet at the yacht club, have the the breakfast before everybody goes to their stations, sing happy birthday to Mayor Joe. Can you continue to tell us how the execution of the day goes for everybody, for the team?
Michele Estevez:Yes. After our breakfast and everybody take the last orders and making sure that everybody have also not everybody, but a lot of us, we have a radio communication also between each other, so we assign the radios. We test our radios that they are all working fine. We make sure that also some of the volunteers that they have show up, that they wear our official Four of July shirts. And I am the one who had actually described everything.
Michele Estevez:And that day, believe it or not, that day we are empowered, that we are the authority of the parade. I mean, we are over our police chief, our business manager. We are in charge a 100%. Of course, we can arrest. We can whatever.
Michele Estevez:But, also, I record two times I have not let politicians in the parade because I don't let nobody in the parade if you don't carry an American flag. Something. If you come just with your sign as a politician, you are not in the parade. And also, you have to pay. You have to contribute.
Michele Estevez:So we have you already, you know, line up the names, what is your assigned number, and all that. So we I had a couple encounters. One year, we have horses that they did not have the poop scooper person. I didn't let them on the parade. Sorry.
Michele Estevez:They were not our rescue horses that they have come for years and years. It was another group of horses. Sorry, they couldn't go in the parade. So, after that, everybody go to their positions in which, let's say, some members, they are in charge of the stage. They gotta be on the stage.
Michele Estevez:Some, have those also, they have to decorate the stage. They have a radio communication with me if anything changes in the lineup or anything. We have somebody in charge that with the ice that go get, you know, with big coolers so they keep passing ice to the to all of us that we have coolers that we, you know, ice has started melting or we need anything else or any assistant. We have Cecile Sanchez that is in harbor directing when recognizing the buses when they arrive with the vans or floats that direct them to Fernwood and how they go, directing then the buses. We have also the members that we assigned to be in charge of the bands.
Michele Estevez:They have to take the bus or direct the buses where they had a park close to the end of the parade and back on Fairmont. So then when the band finished there, they don't have to walk all the way back to, in this case, La Silla, to St. Agnes. There are the buses waiting for them there. We have in Fernwood, we have quite a few people there to making sure that when floats arrive that they add on their numbers.
Michele Estevez:On the day before the parade, we have a group that they put the sticks with the numbers on firm wood. So you know when you arrive at the parade what is your number and where you have to line up and where to go. And we have to set up the space of the numbers according to the size of the float. That's why it's very important that they describe how they participate in. It's a float, it's one golf cart, it's two cars, people marching, if you have music, no music.
Michele Estevez:It's a lot of details that we need to know from the participants. So, that is in the lineup on Fernwood. And we made the numbers also. So, I have two people that work with me at the same time that go up and down in Fernwood, put in the numbers to the floats in case master of ceremony tell him is any change in numerical number. Let's say it was number coming number thirty, thirty one, and then jump for some reason to 40 and then go back to 32, 33.
Michele Estevez:So he have the list and things so he can switch because can say, oh, and here we have Alejandro survived with this podcast and all that and ended up that they're dogs walking, you know, the dog walkers. It's very important to have that communication too, and all that is a rain the night that we meet there, all of us. And then we wait I wait for I am in charge in the start of the lineup, So I always in communication with the fire rescue to arrive on time at least fifteen or ten minute before eleven. And because the parade must start sharp 11:00 because the flyover, it is sharp at 11:00. So as soon as they arrive, they move they go all the way to Crandall And Harbor.
Michele Estevez:And when they are there, I already start moving the parade immediately. And they are all the police, fire, rescue, parade marshal also. And from there, the parade the parade start. Auxiliaries, they go also early on first, And then the parade goes pass, and I remain with my volunteers at the review stand to pick him up all the trash from there, making sure that they move fast to remove stand and finish the last cleaning and for the police just to open. And after that, we have the judges and there are usually three judges that we invite them for for lunch or the barbecue.
Michele Estevez:And around three, 04:00, I dropped dead. Yes. That that day, I start at 04:00 in the morning, the day of the parade.
Alejandro Servalli:Wow. Awesome. And a a personal question I'm interested. The bikepipes, how how is how are they arranged? They show up?
Michele Estevez:They just come from for years.
Alejandro Servalli:From where?
Michele Estevez:They're from Miami, I guess. I don't know from where they are. Yes. They're just they they they show up for years. Follow-up.
Michele Estevez:We have the contact, of course, and we reach you know, the foundation actually is the one who do that, all those connections. They reach them to come to come, and they come every year. We also give them also, they receive a donation also.
Alejandro Servalli:Yes. Awesome. Great. Michelle, thank you for telling us everything we need to know about the Cube's Cane fourth of July parade. I encourage everybody to go, of course.
Alejandro Servalli:It's still the best, probably the best parade in Miami Dade, right?
Michele Estevez:South Florida.
Alejandro Servalli:In South Florida, even better. You were talking about volunteering, that you need people to come out and help out. So you wanna share something about that?
Michele Estevez:Yes. The committee need volunteers. Not only just the day of the parade that quite a few residents, they contact me for to come back to their jobs and assignment from the prior year or people that wants to volunteer that day. We need committee members. We need people that help us to organize the parade.
Michele Estevez:We need also people to contribute to the parade. We need funding for the parade. So please reach the Kiwi Skin Community Foundation or go on our website, kb4.org, and you will have the information there or you can contact me and we can work on it. Let's help us, join us. Let's deliver a great parade, our sixty seventh parade and celebrate the two fifty years of the independence of this beautiful country, United States Of America.
Michele Estevez:See you all at the parade.
Alejandro Servalli:Awesome. Michelle, thank you so much for jumping on the show. I think that you're doing an amazing work. Thank you for your contribution to our community. Also, you were an elected official as well, so anybody who contributes at that level, in many levels, they're taking away time from their families and from other things, so I appreciate that and I think more people should do it, So thank you for all the time that you've contributed to our beautiful community.
Michele Estevez:Thank you for invitation, Alejandro. Thank you.
Alejandro Servalli:Doctor. Bakash has been in practice as an orthodontist for over a decade, helping to create beautiful smiles in the KiwiScan community. She's inspired by her patients to do her job better every day and to continually learn new methods of treatment to improve the care she gives. Doctor. Vakash enjoys using her knowledge of science and engineering to make a positive difference in the life of her patients.
Alejandro Servalli:She built her career as an orthodontist on a foundation of quality education. She received her certificate of orthodontics and a master's degree in medical science from Harvard University. Doctor. Prakash is a member of the American Dental Association, the American Association of Orthodontics, and the Harvard Society for Advancements of Orthodontics, and is also a certified Invisalign provider. At Bakash Orthodontics, we provide the highest quality orthodontics treatment and Invisaligning for children and adults.
Alejandro Servalli:We are conveniently located in the heart of Kibiscaine at 240 Cronin Boulevard, Suite 106.
