When the owners of a Morgan Hill children’s gymnasium woke up recently to find the centerpiece of their float for the upcoming Fourth of July parade stolen, they didn’t expect the outpouring of generosity that helped them quickly replace the lost item.
Carol and Kurt Kromer, owners of The Little Gym, are veterans of the downtown Morgan Hill Independence Day parade, as they have entered a float each of the last 10 years—as long as The Little Gym has been in business. This year’s parade theme is “Home Sweet Home,” and the Kromers’ idea was to purchase and decorate a pre-fabricated playhouse structure, “and build the float around that,” Carol Kromer explained.
Carol’s husband Kurt started working on the float earlier this month outside The Little Gym, which is located at 15750 Vineyard Blvd. The night of June 19, he nailed the playhouse down onto the flatbed of the parade float, and went home to get some sleep. When he returned to continue working the next morning, the playhouse was missing.
“I was devastated, and he was really upset,” Carol said.
The couple reported the theft to Morgan Hill police. A nearby video surveillance video captured a blurry image of the theft about 12:25 a.m. June 20, Carol Kromer said.
The couple also posted information about the theft and the stolen item on Facebook. Carol said she was merely hoping someone had seen the playhouse and could help the couple retrieve it.
“Instead, I received such overwhelming love and support from the community,” Carol beamed. “People stopped by with donations, and we purchased the very last (playhouse) that CostCo had. I was brought to tears by the generosity of the community.”
Now the couple and their son are in the process of rebuilding their float with the new playhouse. This time, they have a locked storage unit to work in and secure the items when the owners are not on site.
And on July 16, the Kromers plan to give away the playhouse to one of their members as part of The Little Gym’s 10th anniversary celebration. The community is invited to the celebration, which will take place 3 to 5 p.m. at The Little Gym.
The Little Gym offers classes in gymnastics and other sports, as well as dance, karate and music for children from 4 months to 12 years of age. They also host birthday parties and camps, Carol Kromer explained. She expects up to half a dozen of her member children to ride on the Independence Day parade float.
“We are even more excited to take our amazing float down the parade route and show it to the community and thank them for helping make it possible,” Carol Kromer added by email. “A huge thank you to the individuals and families that donated money to help us purchase the second house.”
The downtown Morgan Hill Independence Day parade will start at 10 a.m. July 4. The route begins on Monterey Road, and circles to West Main, Peak and West Dunne avenues. Last year, the parade featured more than 2,500 participants, including marching bands, colorful floats, a variety of performance groups and numerous specialty entities.
For more information about the Freedom Fest holiday festivities—including the July 3 Patriotic Sing and Street Dance, and July 4 fireworks—visit morganhillfreedomfest.com.
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Pre-parade entertainment begins 9 a.m. July 4 in downtown Morgan Hill. The Classic Car Cruise ‘n Show is scheduled to take place at 9:30 a.m., with the parade starting at 10 a.m. For more information about Independence Day and July 3 festivities in Morgan Hill, visit morganhillfreedomfest.com.
