More than 15,000 people will watch a parade of clowns, elephants and Shriners this Saturday as the group hosts its 41st annual football game.
The Shriners are a U.S. secret fraternal order. They operate a number of hospitals across the country.
The money raised from this weekend will go to the Shriners children hospitals, according to David Orr, the publicity director for the local chapter.
Following the parade, the spectators will crowd into Dartmouth's Memorial Stadium to watch the first game of the 1994 high-school football season, between All-Stars from Vermont and New Hampshire.
Orr said there are 40 shrine games played across the country. He said the game played in Hanover is the third largest one in the country.
"Over the years a lot of very fine players have played in this game," Orr said. "You never know &emdash; you could be at looking at some future star on the field on Saturday."
Orr said former Dartmouth defensive standout George Neos '93 played in the shrine game four years ago.
"Since 1922 the Shriners have put everything into raising money" for the 22 hospitals they operate nationwide, Orr said.
Orr said the Shriners hope to raise $150,000 this weekend.
"Every ticket we sell, every souvenir we sell, every donation we take in goes to the hospital," he said.
The parade will start at noon at Hanover High School on Lebanon Street. There will be clowns, bands and Shriners wearing their trademark hats and riding in various vehicles.
Orr said people "come to see the parade because its fun … We see literally thousands of kids watching the parade because its fun."
The parade will wind up Main Street, go down to the old Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital before heading off to Memorial Field.
"People come with the hope they're going to see a good game and they know it is going to a good cause," he said.
Last year, New Hampshire won the Shriners' game 26 to 21.
Orr said the game is held in Hanover because of "its central location and it's the only field in the two states which can hold our crowd."
