Lemont Keepataw Day Committee Names 2022 Parade Grand Marshal

The 70th Annual Lemont Keepataw Day Parade and Fun Fest will take place Sunday, September 4, 2022, during Labor Day weekend.

The parade will begin at 1 pm at Main and Stephen Streets, proceed down Main Street and make a right at Turnabout Pizza up to Illinois Street. The route continues down Illinois Street and finishes at the corner of Illinois and Lemont Streets near St. Matthew Lutheran Church.

A fun fest will follow in Lemont's downtown Metra parking lot and will last until 10 pm. The fest will feature live music, food vendors, a beer tent, games, and crafts.

The Lemont Keepataw Day Foundation also announced at the Lemont Legends Cruise Nights car show on August 24th that longtime Lemont resident Al Albrecht has been named Grand Marshal for this year's parade. Albrecht was nominated based on his history of serving the Lemont community.

Albrecht attended St. Patrick’s grade school and graduated from Lemont High School in 1959. In 1969, Albrecht returned to Lemont High School as a teacher of physical education, geography, and driver's education. During his teaching career, he also served as head coach of several sports, including baseball, cross country, volleyball, and wrestling, and built the first cross country course. Albrecht supported thousands of students during his tenure and was named Athletic Director in 1992, a position he held until his retirement in 2001.

As Athletic Director, Albrecht advocated for Title IX and promoted equality in girls' sports. This included advocating for increases in new sports, uniforms, practice schedules, game schedules, and coaching salaries. Albrecht was integral in expanding the wrestling program and upgrading the field house, weight, and locker rooms. He expanded the Lemont Christmas Classic Basketball Tournament to 16 teams and was inducted into the Christmas Classic Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Lemont High School Alumni Hall of Fame in 2017. On September 18, 2022, Albrecht will be inducted into the Lemont High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

Albrecht also was a registered official for 33 years in the Chicagoland community for baseball, basketball, softball, volleyball, and wrestling. He is a past president of the Lemont Lions Club and started the Lions Club's high school scholarship program. He was also a member of the Lemont Jaycees and served on the District 113 School Board and Lemont Library board. Albrecht also drove buses for Theo Gorski and Sons and was a part-time auxiliary police officer in Lemont.

William Bozue, who nominated Albrecht, said, "Al’s life has been one of service to the youth and town of Lemont. Anyone that had Mr. Albrecht as a driver's Education teacher learned how to drive safely and defensively. As an official, he demonstrated fairness and sportsmanship to hundreds of participants. As a coach, he guided our students towards being responsible young ladies, gentlemen, and winners. As an Athletic Director, he oversaw all sports programs and was a mentor to many coaches still coaching at LHS today."

Started in 1951, the Lemont Keepataw Parade has a rich history of community involvement. School teams, clubs, societies, local businesses, community leaders, first responders, and more parade through our downtown with pride as they showcase their members and achievements. Lemont Keepataw Day is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) arts, culture, and humanities organization that organizes the Lemont Keepataw Day Parade and Fun Fest.

This year's parade participants include the Lemont Police Department, the Lemont Fire Protection District, the Lemont Lions Club, Lemont VFW Post 5819, the Village of Lemont, Lemont Township, the Lemont High School Girls Softball Team State Champions, the LHS Marching Band and Color Guard, the LHS Cheer and Dance teams, the LHS Leo Club, the District 210 Board of Education, the LHS Educational Foundation, the District 113 Band, St. Patrick's Day Queen Suzie Knutte, the Lemont Historical Society, the Lemont Junior Woman's Club, the Pirates of the Canal, Pawlak Properties, Lemont Cub Scouts Packs 149 and 249, Lemont Girl Scouts Service Unit 724, Lemont Public Library, South West Shrine Club Mini Ts, St. Alphonsus/St. Patrick School, Sts. Cyril and Methodius School, Bethany Lutheran Church and the Lemont Food Pantry, the Vesperados, Ruby Whiskers Animal Rescue, Allegro Music Academy, the Chicago Stockyard Kilty Band, The Forge: Lemont Quarries, Shack Shine, Puckerville Farms, the Quarry Queen Bar Car, the Lemont Tractor Club, the Legacy Ranch, and more.

Platinum sponsors of this year's parade and fun fest include State Street Dental, the Village of Lemont, the Lemont Township, and the Lemont Highway Department. Gold sponsors include the Lemont Tractor Club, Barrel and Vine, the Lemont Park District, Edward Jones-Lemont, Markiewicz Funeral Home, and Burns Plumbing.

Silver sponsors include Model Act Studios, Terry and Darlene Blanz, Lemont Bank and Trust, Shack Shine, Digs on Canal, Gelsosomo's Pizzeria, Got Dumped, and Country Landscape and Supply. Bronze sponsors include the Marzec family, Lemont Public Library District, Antonopoulos and Virtel, Pete's Fresh Market Lemont, Mama D's, and Lemont Paving Company. Friends of the parade include That Girl + Co and Leo & Sons Carpet Cleaning.