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The parade will end up in Copeland Park, where Labor Fest activities will begin at 11 a.m. and continue until about 3 p.m. Labor Fest features refreshments, food, bingo games, a sawdust pile seeded with coins for children to find, an inflatable Iron Man attraction for children and a sack race. The public is invited.
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From Kane and Gillette streets, the parade will continue west along Gillette Street, south on Caledonia Street and west on St. Cloud Street to Copeland Park.
Hanson is community services director and AFL-CIO labor liaison at Great Rivers United Way, where he has worked since 1988. He is a member of Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers Local 22.
Hanson was president of the bakery workers union local from 1981 to 1987. From 1971 to 1988, he worked at what is now the Sara Lee Corp. bakery in La Crosse.
Hanson works with organized labor members in a five-county area, on a number of community service, health and human service issues.
“I help the unions get involved in communities in ways that benefit not only the community but also their memberships,” he said, such as his work with the letter carriers union’s annual food drive. “I’ve worked with different unions that have wanted to do community service projects like putting in a ramp for someone, or doing remodeling for lower-income people,” he said.
“I am humbled and honored” to be named parade marshal, Hanson said. “I’ve worked with a number of labor leaders over the years and have seen a lot of competent people picked as parade marshal. It’s pretty humbling to be selected by that group.”
The Western Wisconsin AFL-CIO Council chose Hanson “Because of his many years of service to the labor movement and his many years as labor liaison at the United Way,” council President Terry Hicks said.
The council sponsors the annual Labor Day event.
