Coppell 4th of July Parade Promotes JustServe

Featured Photo: Missionaries and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Coppell line up early in the morning of July 4th for the annual city parade. Photos courtesy of Stephanie Syphus.

COPPELL, TX – On the 4th of July, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Coppell joined the city parade festivities, donning patriotic trinkets and a well-decorated JustServe banner and truck. Youth, local missionaries, and church leaders gave out candy to onlookers and wished them a happy Independence Day.

“It was so wonderful; we had a great group of people that were very enthusiastic to be there,” said Parker Syphus, who organized the JustServe float and volunteers. “We had a lot of energy and had music pumping. We even heard from bystanders that we were the most spirited float.”

At 9 am, the parade kicked off from the St. Ann Parish parking lot and weaved through a two-mile stretch on Parkway Boulevard through Coppell. Thousands of residents lined the parade path, cheering for their favorite floats. The missionaries and church members received welcome cheers from the community.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to participate in our community and for people to get to know us and the missionaries in a non-proselyting environment,” Syphus said. “It’s another opportunity for the community to associate the Church and missionaries with service.”

Six local missionaries and two Spanish-speaking missionaries from a neighboring area walked the two-mile path waving flags and passing out candy. The Church has been invited to participate each year following its initial participation in the parade in 2021.

“It’s such a great event to celebrate our country, to celebrate our freedom of religion, and to celebrate America,” said Elder Caleb Balmforth from Eagle Mountain, Utah.

The JustServe banner was the main decoration on the float to raise awareness of the program. JustServe is a free online tool that connects volunteers with service opportunities in their area.
“We are here to serve the community; we want to make it a better place,” said Elder Austin Brown, a missionary from Kuna, Idaho. “It was an awesome experience and we enjoyed being part of it.”

The city of Coppell is located in the northwest region of Dallas County and has a population of 42,983. There are two congregations in Coppell. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was one of several local churches in the parade alongside business owners, local sports teams, and first responders.

This story was also featured in The Church News on July 10, 2023.