LAKE WORTH BEACH, Fla. — Compass, the LGTBQ Community Center, held its annual pride parade Sunday in Lake Worth Beach. Organizers said 25,000 people attended this year's festivities.
It was a record-breaking parade and the man who organizes all the people and floats behind the scenes is Palm Beach County High School teacher Michael Woods, who is no stranger at organizing large groups of people.
"This is my 17th or 18th year doing it. We actually get a lot of people signed up, and it's my job is to make sure the spacing is right," says Woods.
Bikers, walkers, motorcycles, floats, radio personalities like Virginia of KVJ, those of us in vehicles, like WPTV Taste and See entertainment reporter T.A. Walker, and even dogs.
Claudia Harrison helps Woods line everyone up, "It's kind of like playing Tetris with cars, and people and the board keeps shifting and changing and the rules do too."
"We had Big Dog Ranch, so they couldn't be near motorcycles," says Woods.
Clearly, Woods is not afraid to tell people where they should be.
"I can be a little... assertive... uh convincing," admits Woods. "When people want to have a discussion about why I'm doing something ... It's not a discussion, it's just that this is where I need you, and we are moving on."
At one point Harrison felt overwhelmed, "I don't know where they are going to go. But then Michael Woods ... who was our parade coordinator found homes for everybody and it all worked out."
He has help from his best friend, and what does she think of his parade organizing skills?
"Michael. Hahahaha," laughs Jennifer Jlynne Herrington. "He has it all in his head. And sometimes forgets that myself is not psychic. Amazingly, hard worker, he doesn't toot his own horn. But he is everywhere, no matter where you turn there he is."
She says she's proud of her friend who often uses his time off from school to volunteer.
Records for Compass were shattered this year. Michael and his friends organized more than 80 entries, and the parade ran over 17 minutes longer than last year.
"Everyone in the parade was like, 'Thank you. We've enjoyed ourselves.' So, once we got a few bumps smoothed out, I think we did a good job," says a relieved Harrison.
