| Hundreds of Cape residents shucked their usual deck gear in favor of pirate garb as 30 boats traversed the canals in the southeast section of the city for a Saturday parade.
The pirates and landlubbers who lined the Gloriana and Bluejay canals enjoyed themselves for two hours, while the needy across the county also had reason to cheer for the Pirates in Paradise celebration.
A “captains’ meeting” at the Twisted Conch on Friday and efforts on Saturday raised thousands of dollars and brought in much needed canned goods for the Harry Chapin Food Bank.
“This time of the year the food bank is coming off a rough summer,” said Joyce Jacobs, the associate director for organization. “We really needed this boost.”
Jacobs said recent economic hard times in the construction agency have led to a shortfall at the bank, which gathers food from the community and disperses it to other charity groups. She was enthused by the response from Cape citizens, especially those who were just coming to watch the boats and their captains in pirate gear.
“People are very generous, they don’t mind giving, they just need the opportunity,” Jacobs said.
The generosity came from more than just residents, as local companies sponsored several boats, an array of silent auction items and “booty bags” — bags full of candy that were thrown from the boats to spectators. After skipping last year, organizers hailed the outcome of this second annual event, which was the brainchild of resident Jimmie Chew.
“I wanted to have a parade and I just thought of a great theme: pirates,” she said on the bow of her boat. “I love doing this, I love watching the excitement of the people.”
Chew got into the act as well, dressing as a pirate, tossing candy to onlookers as well as raising a saber and yelling “Arr!”
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She said she toured the food bank recently, was amazed by what they do, and was proud to raise food and money for the charity. But Chew’s other goal was to get residents near Cape Harbour, where the parade began, a parade that would rival the Christmas lighted boat parade.
“I want it to get so well known that everyone plans for it. I just hope we have a lot of attendance next year and that it continues on,” she said.
Six-year-old Blake Hankey, a recent transplant from the countryside of Victoria, Australia, said he wanted to get involved in the parade next year. The youngster is a big pirate fan by his own admission and even had a recent birthday party which substituted “put the eye patch on the pirate” for “pin the tail on the donkey.”
His mother, Michelle, was happy to see the event in her newly adopted city after heading to all the way out to Fort Myers Beach for the recent Piratefest. She was also impressed with several of the boats, which clearly had been worked on for weeks.
“A lot of people have gone through a lot of work. It’s amazing,” she said.
One of the most visually stunning boats was completed by the Miller family of the southeast Cape. Patriarch Paul Miller said the boat, which took three weeks to complete, held three generations of pirates.
“I heard about it and thought it was a great way to pull the family together,” he said. “We wanted to prove there were some pirates left in Cape Coral.”
Blake Hankey was impressed by the Millers’ boat, but could not decide which was his favorite.
“I think I like all of them,” he said.
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