Many years ago, I was standing in the crowd on Old Orchard Street watching the annual Old Orchard Beach Memorial Parade go by, and I saw a ragtag group of folks pushing decorated lawn mowers. They were the funniest and most fun group I had ever seen in a parade. They were the Old Orchard Beach Lawn Mower Drill Team, a hodgepodge of characters and arts and craft projects.

A few years later, I was doing a preview story of the Memorial Day parade for the Journal Tribune, and, on a whim, I reached out to the email address on the team’s Facebook page and asked for an interview.

I sat down to interview Glen and Missy Richardson, the founders of the team, and right away it felt like I’d known them forever. They are that type of people.

Over the years I became an OOB Lawn Mower Drill Team groupie – I cheered them on from the sidelines, liked their Facebook page photos, and even drank a beer or ate a sandwich with them a few times at their annual gathering after the parade.

In 2021, I took it a step further and became one of them – marching with them at the Saco Parade of Lights.

I continued the tradition at last year’s Memorial Day parade in Old Orchard Beach. It was wonderful to see the smiles and laughter the group generated. And I’ve got to be honest here, I did bask a little in the rowdy applause the team received.

“They’re a real crowd pleaser,” said Town Councilor Larry Mead in a conversation the day after the parade.

“It’s time,” said Missy. “We were only supposed to do this for one year.”

It had started out as a one-time whim, but soon grew into an annual tradition, one that many people looked forward to. The Old Orchard Beach Drill Team even made national news one year.

“After 15 years of planning and coordinating Glen and I are tired,” said Missy. “It's been an amazing journey. Thanks to all who participated and thanks to our fans who clapped, waved and encouraged us all these years.”

As the drill team mustered for the last time Monday on Ballpark Way, team members shared memories and stories. One family had three generations participating. One person had traveled from out of state. One carried some of the ashes of a former member so they too, could participate in the last parade.

One local television news crew once referred to it as the Old Orchard Beach Precision Drill Team. That may have been a stretch.

The team had three signature routines, and they were pretty basic – if you could do-si-do or go in a circle, you were golden.

“We practice the day of the parade...during the parade,” said Glen. He was only half-kidding.

And well, that stuff didn’t matter anyway. It wasn’t about being perfect. It was about spreading joy.

And that couldn’t have been more apparent on Monday. As the Old Orchard Beach Drill Team traveled the parade route for the last time, the group stalled every now and then as one of the team ran out to hug or greet a friend or loved on the parade route, knowing that this would be the last time they would do that as an OOB Lawnmower Drill Team member.

Over the years Glen and Missy have been wonderful stewards of the drill team. For the past 15 years, they’ve stored the team’s lawn mowers in their garage, the same garage where everyone gathered the day before the parade to decorate their machine of choice. If you forgot to bring decorations, or needed a zip tie or duct tape, there was always plenty of extra supplies to go around. Glenn and Missy always had you covered.

The garage was also where the parade ended, for the OOB Lawn Mower Drill team. After completing the official parade route, the drill team walked their mowers back to the Richardson’s garage, and then gathered upstairs in the “lounge” for the parade after party.

The lawnmowers, having served the drill team well, are headed to the scrap yard.

And the Old Orchard Beach Lawn Mower Drill Team alumni members will stand in the sidelines of the next parade, and cheer on that next motley crew that carries on the tradition of spreading joy.

Publisher Liz Gotthelf can be reached at newsdesk@sacobaynews.com.