By Deborah Guziak

Record-Courier staff writer

After a five year absence, the Kent State University Homecoming parade once again delighted the throngs of people who lined East Main Street.

Children held plastic grocery bags waiting for a parade participant to toss handfuls of candy at them. Everyone stood and peered down the road, waiting for bands, floats and other participants to march into view.

"We're glad it's back," Laura Wiley of Kent said of the parade. She'd brought her family members, including granddaughters, to see the parade.

The theme of the parade was "Salute to Service," and most of the parade's participants honored the different branches of the military, as well as the police and fire departments.

Participating in the parade were marching bands from Theodore Roosevelt High School Rough Rider Marching Band; Waterloo High School Viking Marching Band; the Lutheran West High School Marching Band and the KSU marching band. Sandwiched in the middle of the university's marching band were about 15 KSU alumni marching band members.

There were many service organizations, fraternities and sororities also in the parade. KSU athletes of all sports marched down the road, as did many of the KSU cheerleaders.

Riding in Henry Ford's earliest cars were many politicians. With horns blaring "ooogggaaa!" the occupants waved at the bystanders.

Other politicians and political candidates rode in cars decorated with signs urging people to cast their votes for them. They, too, tossed candy at the waiting children.

Deborah Tesauro of Kent stood on East Main Street near DePeyster Street with her family. The family came to see their daughter and sister, Jean, march in the parade with the Builders Club of Stanton Middle School.

"We came to see her in the parade," Tesauro said, adding she was glad the parade has returned.

A train consisting of an engine and a caboose made its way down East Main Street; the engine's bell clanging. It was the entry of the Kent Area Chamber of Commerce. A float of a massive cake with candles made mention of KSU's 100th birthday in 2010.

A giant loaf of bread walked with the parade, and parents quickly snapped a picture of their children with the colorful loaf. Ronald McDonald rode a Segway and waved at the crowds.

"Oh, look!" a few children squealed at the sight of a massive brontosaurus as it peered over the vehicle that was pulling its float. The dinosaur and its accompanying volcano was the float of the KSU Child Development Center.

"This needed to come back," said Peggy Hathoway of Green. "Not a lot of people like to watch football, but everyone loves a parade. I'm glad it was brought back. I graduated from KSU, but without the parade, I just didn't come to homecoming."

As it did in the past, the parade went along front campus. It started at Midway Drive on the KSU campus, and disbanded on Franklin Avenue.

The last parade was in 2003. Hoping to push attendance at the football game, KSU officials nixed the parade. In 2007, the KACC began discussing the idea of bringing the tradition back following a successful Kent Bicentennial Parade held in 2006.