Pat Harvey-Palmer
Organizing Smiles and Spreading Joy
story by JENNIFER BROWN-CARPENTER
photos of Pat-Harvey Palmer by CHARLOTTE BERKELEY
photos by SK, SIGNS, DESIGNS & MARKETING and courtesy of BEAUFORT WATER FESTIVAL
Each year, Beaufort is blessed to witness and participate in different parades. The Water Festival Parade is coming soon and Pat Harvey-Palmer, longtime parade organizer and volunteer, is taking her seat as this year’s Parade Grand Marshal.
Pat Harvey-Palmer grew up in South America, in Lima, Peru, where her family had moved in 1955. They moved there to open the first Sears store, which was quite an experience, to say the least. Pat graduated from high school in Peru. At age 11, Pat started riding horses and eventually became well-known in Peru, becoming the youngest and only North American on the women’s equestrian team for eight years. On horseback, she jumped all over South America, competing against some of the best riders in the world. Those years have remained one of her favorite memories.
She went on to live in Maracaibo and Caracas, Venezuela, for three years, and then for a year in Quito, Ecuador. She met a marine on embassy duty in South America, and that is what eventually led her to Beaufort in 1966. “When I got here in 1966, it was nothing like it is now. But I fell in love with Beaufort and knew then that eventually I was going to quit running around and come back here.”
That is exactly what she did in 1978. She has been here ever since. She got a job as a receptionist in a real estate office, and she fell in love with that job too. She later got a license and moved on to become an agent and then a broker. She has had two offices and now runs Hometown Realty, which has been in business for 33 years. “It is one of my passions. Other than parades, real estate is just in my blood to help people find a roof to put over their heads. Some people say this job is about sales, but I don’t consider it sales. I consider it helping people do what they must do anyway.”
Pat became a member of the Lion’s Club over 30 years ago. “It is my understanding that the Beaufort Lion’s Club has been involved with the Water Festival Parades from when they first started in 1956. Over 20 years ago, I was concerned about the general organization of the parade. I started getting more involved and have been working with them ever since.” Years ago, the parade lined up on Ribaut Road, then Rogers Street, followed by Bladen Street. “We are now on Adventure Street which works well. There are not many homes on Adventure, and we have several good side streets, where I can place entries that just fall into place once the parade starts. This is going to be my twenty-first year organizing parades.”
It’s still a challenge each year, especially when Pat doesn’t always have all the information that she needs. She figures out exactly how to line them up, giving everyone enough room to ensure people are not piled on top of each other. She also pays close attention to where the entries are placed, separating any animals from loud noises, etc. “My top priority is to make the people happy. In all my years, I don’t ever remember an argument breaking out at a parade. People have a different mood for parades. They’re so excited about it. They don’t care about the little things. It’s like the theater. You don’t know everything that happens behind the scenes, but once the parade takes off, the public sees it and they are happy.”
Pat views the parades as a community contribution. She has been able to create long-lasting relationships with people during her years of running these parades. Some of these people have her number in their phones or will drop by her office to ask their questions. She has already started receiving emails about the Veterans Day Parade that will take place in November. That is how excited people are about participating in the parades that take place in Beaufort. The Christmas Parade is a personal favorite of Pat’s simply because the feeling that the season brings lends itself to an extra special type of parade. “The excitement is high, and I also have all the children, the bands, and the cheerleaders participating in the Christmas Parade.”
When asked how she was chosen to be the Parade Grand Marshal, Pat said, “I have no earthly idea.”
Water Festival Commodore Todd Stowe, however, says that it is due to Pat’s “dedication and service, and all the things she has done for the community. She has done a lot more than most people realize,” he says. Todd also notes that he had to talk Pat into accepting the position of Parade Grand Marshal because she was more focused on her job of running the parade.
Last year, Pat received two proclamations: one from Beaufort County about doing the parades, and one from House of Representative Shannon Erickson about parades as well as “telling the story of her life.” Pat exclaims, “I don’t even have to write my eulogy now!”
Pat intends to keep volunteering and serving the community through her parade work until she can. “I love all the people and the excitement. They think parades are the best thing in the world so if they’re happy, I am happy. It is part of the community, and I want to do things for the community that make them happy.” When asked why community involvement is so important to her, Pat says, “We all have to stick together somehow.” Life is full of unexpected events. “We need to know that we can count on each other if something bad ever happens.”
Besides that, Pat wants to focus on continuing to create relationships with people. Talking, smiling, and complimenting are all things that Pat thinks we are missing out on as our world grows more and more technological. “We are missing the personal touch. We must remember that people are important.”
When asked what serving as the Parade Grand Marshal entails, Pat shares that she just plans to “sit, wave, and look pretty.” We think she’ll do just fine.
