A Jim Thorpe resident who was an integral part of the Jim Thorpe community will be honored at this year’s Halloween parade.

The 27th annual Jim Thorpe Halloween Parade will be held on Oct. 22 at 2 p.m. and will honor the memory of the late James “Jimmy” Trainer, who was named this year’s grand marshal.

The Jim Thorpe Lions Club has hosted the parade for the last 11 years and Trainer was a long-time member of the club.

Trainer died, after a long, courageous fight with cancer, in July of this year. He will be represented by his loving wife and best friend, Debbie Trainer, as well as members of his family.

Since the Lions took over sponsorship of the parade, Jimmy had been an integral part of it, serving as chairman of the parade committee. He meticulously oversaw the planning and organizing of the event and did a lot of the “grunt-work” required to make the parade a success.

As a Lion, he devoted himself to many other community projects.

Most recently, he spearheaded the Lions campaign to erect the new Christmas lights on the A.J. Baddick Bridge in town.

Several years ago, he was the main cog in the Lions Jim Thorpe Hometown Heroes Banners Project. Not only did he and his wife, Debbie, handle all the calls and correspondence regarding the project, but he personally, with the help of others, hung the 200 plus banners on PPL poles in the community.

Trainer was also involved in the Jim Thorpers Bike Team for over 10 years. The team participates in the annual Ben to Shore Bike Tour. Proceeds from the ride benefit the Families Behind the Badge Children’s Foundation, which helps families of fallen first responders and children’s charities.

Led by State Police Sgt. Michael Dugan, the team has raised over $431,000 and Trainer has been one of top fundraisers for the group.

A faithful Christian, he was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church “In the Heights” where he served as vice president of church council.

For many years, Jimmy was the Street Supervisor, working for the Jim Thorpe Borough. A posting on the Borough website sums up Jim’s life:

“Generous, Kind, Giving, Community, Strong, Courageous. You gave so much of yourself to your Jim Thorpe Community. You were a role model and inspiration to us all. We can never repay all that you did for us.”

Lineup for the parade will begin at 1 p.m. at the Jim Thorpe Area High School parking lot. Registration for the Parade is still open for organizations that would like to participate; the deadline to register is Oct. 17.

The parade will kick off at the high school, march down Center Street and turn on Ninth. It will then continue on North Street, turn on Third, and end at Third and Center streets. Route 903 traffic, between Fifth and 10th streets, will be detoured from 1:45 p.m. until the parade passes Fifth Street. The detour will pass Evergreen and St. Joseph cemeteries.

Buses will then take participants back to Memorial Park for refreshments. First, second and third place awards will be given in the following categories: Best Float, Best Group and Most Original.

To register as a participant in the parade, send your organization’s name, address, contact person, phone number, and email address; as well as entry type (Float or Group), number of people and vehicles, and theme for your entry to Jim Thorpe Lions Club Halloween Parade Committee, P.O. Box 108, Jim Thorpe, PA 18229 by Oct. 17.

For more information, call Clem McGinley MD, Lions Secretary, at 570-325-4950.

The rain date is Oct. 23.