It isn't the amount of firetrucks that was disappointing, it was the lack of bands and baton corps. The men, ladies, boys, and girls that particpate in the fire departments work very hard to get their trucks looking so shiny and beautiful and deserve their moment in the spotlight. They work hard all year long, without pay (mostly) and are there when their communities need them most. I applaud each of them. My life, as a child and a teenager, revolved around the drum and baton corp that I was in. I loved each moment of it and have many great memories of my time spent with them. We took much pride in what we did and were very serious about how we looked and how we performed. It was hard work, as we marched sometimes 3 parades a day and practiced sometimes twice a week in addition to time spent practicing at home. The friendships that we had and the respect that we learned from the adults that were our leaders is immeasurable. I believe it taught many of us the discipline that we needed to get through life, starting with college and continuing long after. I don't know what has changed that children don't want to belong to this kind of an organization any longer. Membership in most groups has declined to the point that they no longer have drumlines and instead have to play music from a recorder strapped to a vehicle that follows behind a group of girls. Others, to the point that they are no longer in existence. In essence, there are no more bands to participate in the parade. What you see is what you get. Practically every group that resides in Western PA was there. God bless those that are still participating and the parents who dedicate so much time to keeping them going! (Go SPARKS! What happened to the famous orange colors that let us know that you were the Sparks??)