The 75th annual Mardi Gras Halloween Parade will begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 27, with a theme of "Back to the '90s." Parade participants and spectators are encouraged to wear costumes based on the theme.

"This year's parade is shaping up to be one of the biggest in recent years," said John Grunden, treasurer of the Columbia Lions Club. "We already have 10 more units registered than we did last year. It's a great way for people to come together for an evening of fun with family and friends."

The parade is sponsored by the Columbia Lions Club and the Sunsnappers, a men's service organization. It will form at 10th and Manor streets before proceeding along a 1.5-mile route that includes sections of Manor, South Fourth, Union, South Second, Locust and South Sixth streets.

The parade will feature five divisions with at least one band in each division. The procession will also include high school marching bands, emergency response units, baton twirlers, Scout troops, fire companies, floats, walking groups, businesses and a steam calliope as the final entry. The Marine Corps League of Lancaster County will collect toys and donations for the Toys for Tots program along the route, and people are invited to bring a toy to donate to this project.

Grunden noted that cash prizes will be awarded to the top three winners in various categories and that the judges will roam the parade route to observe entries throughout the parade rather than only seeing a specific performance at a grandstand. Several nonprofit organizations will sell food along the parade route.

Jetty Gerfin will serve as grand marshal and will ride in a horse-drawn carriage at the front of the parade along with her son, Fred Gerfin.

"Jetty is someone who is always looking for ways to make life a little easier for friends, loved ones and anyone she meets," said Paul Resch, president of the Columbia Lions Club. "She enjoys meeting new people, getting to know them personally and helping in any way she can. On any given day, you'll find her giving rides to friends who have appointments or picking up anyone who needs a ride to church."

A lifelong Columbia resident, Jetty has volunteered with numerous organizations, including Meals on Wheels, the former Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center and St. James Lutheran Church, where she has served on the church council, as a member of the choir and as a Sunday school teacher. She has also volunteered with the Thunder on the River car show for many years. Jetty was married to the late Fred "Itz" Gerfin for 37 years. She has two children, six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

For more information or to register to participate in the parade, call John or Cheryl Grunden at 717-305-8348 or email parade@columbialions.org. Online registration is available at http://www.columbialions.org.