The following is this week’s I AM, YOU ARE, WE ARE Honoree; by Jodie Ingram
Ed Shirley is a light in the community, both figuratively and physically. If you have lived in Vermilion County for any amount of time, you have likely been blessed by Ed and his amazing talent. He is the creator and designer of the beautiful light up floats and structures that can be found throughout Central Illinois.
Ed is originally from Minok, Illinois, but has spent the last 27 years in Vermilion County. While living in Minok, he discovered his passion for parading. His high school girlfriend had show ponies that her family would drive in parades. When Ed was asked to help with the parades, he fell in love with it. Although parading soon became his passion, he would later find work in Georgetown, IL as a Water & Sewer Plant Operator. When I asked him what keeps him here in Vermilion County, he simply said, the people.
Ed and his wife Sherry reside in Georgetown, and they are active members of the community. Ed is a retired Water & Sewer Plant Operator (although he continues to be a water operator in Olivet, Hume, Allerton & Royal as well as various mobile home parks throughout central Illinois), he is the President of the Georgetown Fire District, and serves as a Deacon at the Georgetown First Church of Christ. He has 2 grown children and has adopted 2 of his grandchildren. In his “spare time” he and his wife own and operate Shirley’s Custom Lights.
Shirley’s Custom Lights creates floats for parades, as well as structures and signs for various towns and businesses. From Veterans Day to Christmas Day, Ed, his wife, and his parade team do approximately 25-30 parades. These parades span all over. They have been in Iowa, Indiana, Missouri and Illinois. He has also created several structures over the years. You can see over 100 of them on display at the Paris Twin Lake Light Display.
It doesn’t take long speaking to Ed to know that he is a very humble man as he could not give enough credit to his wife and his team for helping to make all this possible. As a thank you to his team and a thank you to the towns that he operates in, Ed puts on a free parade going through Olivet, Hume, Allerton and Royal. Dressed as Santa, he hands out candy and puts smiles on faces both young and old.
Throughout my interview with Ed, he became emotional speaking of the many ways his hobby has opened doors and has become a ministry to others. Some people just see a pretty float or structure, but to others it can mean so much more. “Every piece has a different story, every parade is a new adventure but, in the end, we get to light up people’s lives and that is what it is all about.”
Thank you, Ed Shirley, for illuminating Vermilion Country with your amazing talent and your generous heart.
If you have someone you would like to share,
visit https://forms.gle/deCPiQ1cxn1pDLhZ9
or contact Ashton Greer, City of Danville agreer@cityofdanville.org or
Nicole Van Hyfte, Vermilion Advantage nvanhyfte@vermilionadvantage.com.
