On Wednesday, June 12, the Oconomowoc Rotary Club issued an apology for their decision to ban political organizations and public figures from participating in their 4th of July parade. In a post earlier this week, the club stated that it would no longer be allowing political entities to participate in the event. However, they have now retracted the proposed ban:
“Therefore, we want to clearly state that all political parties and representatives are welcome and encouraged to participate fully in the parade, as has been our longstanding tradition.”
The Rotary Club’s initial decision to exclude partisanship from the event was a different approach for the club. In prior years, groups such as the Republican Party of Waukesha County had been allowed to march in the parade. The Rotary Club claimed that they wanted to change certain aspects of the parade for the City of Oconomowoc’s 150th anniversary celebration. They stated that they wanted to make the “Milestone… parade experience even more special and unique.”
The Rotary Club faced tremendous backlash after their initial announcement. Dozens of people were upset by the announcement, including radio talk show host Dan O’Donnell, who called attention to the parade’s new rule. Others expressed confusion over the changing rules. The Rotary Club apologized, but maintained that:
“Within this original concept, political figures were encouraged to participate in three clear ways: by walking with the City of Oconomowoc’s official float in a show of civic collaboration, by joining any existing community organization they are already involved with, or by creating their own non-political float as citizens celebrating our city’s milestone with friends and family.”
The club stated that “It was never our intention to exclude or restrict any individuals or groups from being part of this important event”. However, individuals who had previously participated in the parade, such as State Representative Barbara Dittrich, claimed in an official statement that the money she had paid for participation in the event was “Refunded”.
The Rotary Club of Oconomowoc’s Board of Directors used the apology as a chance to confirm that the University of Wisconsin marching band would be performing at the start of the parade, as well as at the Village Green afterward. They also stated that they were thankful for the community’s “Support” and “Unity” throughout the controversy.
