By Anna Austin

Independence Day is a big event in Butte Valley. Everyone from little babies to retired seniors participated, but Independence Day would not be the same without the youthful spirit of the teenagers in the community.

Youth from all around the community ranging from Butte Valley 4H and Butte Valley FFA to royalty and cheerleaders participated in the celebrations. Not everyone who participated had to be part of a group either, there where many teenagers that helped out just because they wanted to.

The day started out with a breakfast put on by the Butte Valley FFA. After the breakfast the cheerleaders got together and started selling soda and water to the people waiting to watch the parade.

The youth in the community made up a big part of the parade. There where two different sets of royalty participating, starting with the Butte Valley Christmas Festival Royal Court Queen Amanda Rojo, Princess Hailey Reynolds, and Jr. Princesses Elizabeth Grier and Baylee Rodgers. The second set of royalty in attendance were the Tulelake/Butte Valley Fair Queens Lexy Greenbank and Rebekah Zarzynski.

The next big contributor to the parade was the Dorris 4H and Butte Valley 4H. The Dorris 4H started out leading the 4H group with goats and a member doing cartwheels down the street. The Butte Valley 4H followed them in a group that was called the Patriot Riders simply because they were all riding horses decorated in red, white, and blue.

The last, but certainly not the least, group to pass was the youth carrying the flag. The flag was carried by many different people from those who participate in the Leos (junior Lions) club to teenagers right off the street. Anyone could help carry the flag. Some even stepped right off the sidewalk in the middle of the parade to help carry it. There were people holding the outside of the flag and others were under the middle holding up the center of the 60 ft by 30 ft flag so that it would not touch the ground.

After the flag raising, everyone headed down to the Little League fields to have BBQ and enjoy themselves. At the field there where booths and activities set up for the kids. The cheerleaders ran the face painting, waterslide, prize booth, drink center, and sprinkler for the kids. While the cheerleaders ran those booths, the Dorris 4H ran a petting zoo for anyone who was interested.

At noon anyone who wanted to eat BBQ headed over to get in line for the Lions BBQ. Everything was all ready by then because the Leos club had helped wrap potatoes and get the silverware ready the night before.

After the Lions’ BBQ there was a community softball game for anyone that wished to participate.

Over all, the community really came together to create a successful Independence Day celebration, and it would not have come together if not for the spirit of the youth in the community.

Siskiyou Youth contributor Anna Austin will be a sophomore next fall at Butte Valley High School, where she plays volleyball, basketball, and softball.