Art Van Furniture has new Thanksgiving parade float
Will focus on retailer's charitable activities
Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, November 24, 2009
 Art Van Elslander, chairman of Warren, Mich.-based Art Van Furniture, stands by his new “Knights of the Chairtable Round Table” float ready for the America’s Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit. |
WARREN, Mich. — Art Van Furniture is commemorating its 20th year as a major supporter of Michigan's America's Thanksgiving Parade with a new float called, Knights of the Chairtable Round Table, a play on the word "charitable."
The float, debuting Thursday and one of six new floats for this year's parade in Detroit, was designed by artist Jimmie Thompson and includes a 12 foot Tiffany style lamp which illuminates and raises 18 feet, and a seven-foot boy riding an animated 10-foot long hobby horse.
Hours went into building the float by volunteers and artists including nine grandchildren of Art Van Chairman and Founder Art Van Elslander, who assisted in painting the clock towers.
Van Elslander is a Grand Marshal of this year's parade. Also, 50 of the Top 100 Company's employees will accompany the float down Woodward Avenue dressed as knights and dragons. The new float joins Art Van's Flicker, the dragon balloon and is helping celebrate the retailer's 50th year in business, which has included numerous events raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for charitable causes.
"I believe it is our responsibility to give back, when you're fortunate to be as successful as we've been for five decades," Van Elslander said. "The parade is always a highlight of the year for our community, our company and my family. It is an honor to once again be part of this important Michigan event."
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