Holiday Floats More Than A Hobby

Parades will soon be marching through Green Country and one company is capitalizing. The only people busier than Gary Peevyhouse and Jim Cooley this time of year are Santa's elves. The two friends

Wednesday, November 21st 2007, 9:47 pm

By: News On 6

Parades will soon be marching through Green Country and one company is capitalizing. The only people busier than Gary Peevyhouse and Jim Cooley this time of year are Santa's elves. The two friends started the business together and News On 6 anchor Craig Day reports the holidays are a busy time for T-Town Parade Floats.

"I'm having a ball, I'm loving every minute of it," said Gary Peevyhouse, T-Town Parade Floats.

Their latest project is a float featuring a ginger bread house for the Arkansas Valley State Bank, which will be in Broken Arrow's Christmas parade.

"My favorite part of the job is building. I love working with wood and building things. That's my favorite part," said Jim Cooley, T-Town Parade Floats.

There are other professional builders that have floats in Tulsa area parades, but they're from out of state, mostly Texas and Kansas. It takes about 60 man hours to build a float.

"If they don't have an idea, then we'll make one up for them and take it to them, and they'll say yeah we like that, let's go with it," said Gary Peevyhouse with a laugh.

They say the final step is like wrapping presents with curves, but the hard work shows. T-Town Parade Floats has already won several awards at area parades. The biggest reward is seeing smiles on the faces of spectators.

"You watch the kids in the parade, their eyes light up and the oohs and ahhs and the applause. We've always had good response," said Jim Cooley.

"When you're walking down the parade route, beside your float and hear all the people, talking about it and oohing and ahhing over it, it just gives you a real good feeling," said Gary Peevyhouse.

It's a feeling that lasts long past the parade route and on through the holiday season.

You can see some of their creations coming up in the Broken Arrow Christmas Parade. The Cerebral Palsy float will be in Tulsa's parade and the PSO float in the Martin Luther King Day Parade in January.

Watch the video: Parade Floats As A Business