Several Sam Houston Electric Cooperative employees teamed up using their imagination, talents and We Care hours to transform a bucket truck into “Molly’s North Pole Express” for the Livingston Lighted Christmas Parade on Dec. 8.
The teamwork was rewarded with a first-place trophy in the parade’s commercial category, which had more than 90 entries.
Stephanie Spore, member service representative, came up with the idea of a train for this year’s edition of the float. Jack Davis then took on the challenge of converting the truck into a train by adding a wood cow-catcher on the front, fabricating a smoke stack and connecting rods on the wheels to add authenticity.
“This is the one thing I do throughout the year that is recognized in the community,” Davis said. “It is really rewarding and gets you in the Christmas spirit.”
Accountant Sonya Reece and accounting clerk Jamie Lindstrom along with Rhonda McGarry, member service representative, and Chris Moehlmann, electronical technician, all helped with decorating the float while Kenny Tolar drove the float down Washington Street during the parade.
This year’s float was named in honor of Molly Gray, Sam Houston EC retiree who recently passed away. Molly’s employee number (114) was added to the float as the train’s number to remember her, according to Spore.
