A dedicated few are making it possible for local residents to enjoy the Bermuda Day parade every year, giving up countless hours to help local and organisations to prepare floats for the annual Bermuda Day parade.

It requires a lot of man hours and with great sacrifice and commitment in the weeks leading up to the May 24 holiday (observed on Monday), but it is a labour of love.

"I'm here every day, sometimes until two in the morning," said Gladwin Smith who goes to the back of the PTB garage after his work day in the spare parts department ends and then spends the evening working on two converted buses that will serve as floats.

When the Lifestyle section visited him earlier this week he had one bus for the PTB/Opportunity Workshop which he is putting together again with the help of three others colleagues at the bus depot, and he has also undertaken a second float for the Ministry of Transport. Needless to say it is a major undertaking as the old buses are cut and the seats removed.

Further down Palmetto Road at the Opportunity Workshop, volunteers headed by Donna Thomas, are doing the intricate art work on boards using raw rice... between 1100 and 1200 pounds of it!

"I'm here every day from 8 a.m. until I go to work at 3 p.m.," said Ms Thomas. "It's a lot of work but I enjoy it.

"Last year on the 23rd I stayed up all night until 8 in the morning. There are some things you can only finish off on the morning (of the parade)."

Those lining the streets to admire the floats and other entries like the majorettes probably don't have an appreciation of the hard work that goes into preparing for Bermuda Day, but those involved have their stories to tell.

"I've been doing it for 14, 15 years," said Mr. Smith. "There have been a lot of sleepless nights. I sleep better once I start (working on the float), but there were some nights when I didn't even sleep. I designed both of the floats.

"I get all the boards drawn, show them (Opportunity Workshop volunteers) how I want it done and they follow it. This is my second year with them. What I generally do is pick a school and go with them for a couple of years. I also did it for Dellwood and West Pembroke schools when my children were going there.

"We actually have one of their (Opportunity Workshop) students here (working part time) and last year it was suggested why not do it for them. We ended up getting the best entry and most beautiful last year."

Mr. Smith doesn't mind admitting his group is going for the top prize again this year.

Work on the disused buses started in the first week of March when the tops were cut off and some carpentry work done to transform it.

Where the seats used to be is now a flat bed and the back seat on one of the buses is still in place and will carry the students from Opportunity Workshop.

Figuratively speaking, Mr. Smith will also take a back seat during the parade. "I'll be sitting inside and nobody even sees me," he revealed.

Ben Alexander, Albert Gordon (who did all the drawings) and Jerome Grant (welding) have been assisting Mr. Smith with the PTB/Opportunity Workshop float, but lack of volunteers for the Ministry of Transport float - which resembles an aircraft - means that that float wasn't moving along as fast.

"Two guys have come up from the Department of Civil Aviation to work on the rear section, but all the framing - I did," said Mr. Smith.

"No one wants to come and decorate the sides. I even got some of the parents from the schools (to help out), which is really not fair. I told them from the get-go I would get them to the point where it just needs to be decorated."

Added Mr. Smith: "Sometimes I'm not told what the theme is going to be until sometime in January, but I try to get my brain in gear real early. I spend on average anywhere from 600 to 700 hours on a float.

"This year I put in more time because I'm doing two. And in order to catch up I'm forced to stay late hours. Hopefully it will be finished by Sunday afternoon. The actual construction is the hardest part.

"Last year I didn't get home until after 12... in the afternoon, the day of (the parade)... and just long enough to change my clothes and come back!

"When I came to work at 7 o'clock on the 23rd, I didn't get back home until noon on the 24th. My 13-year-old daughter was with me."

Luckily for Mr. Smith, he has an understanding family. "It happens every year," he says of the time away from his family.

"It's a labour of love and if you don't enjoy it you won't want to do it. You're not getting anything out of it other than the pleasure of seeing it."

Last year the parade finished at the National Sports Centre for the first time instead of Bernard Park and this year the route has been shortened, starting near the Bank of Bermuda on Front Street instead of the Bull's Head car park area.

It will take a route along Front Street, up Court Street and then right onto Reid Street to Cavendish Road and left on Montpelier to the National Sports Centre.

In constructing the floats, Mr. Smith also had to take into consideration the width of the stadium gate, which he has measured. The sides on the PTB/Opportunity Workshop float have wings with hinges and can be lowered - just in case.

"Those wings are 12-feet high and with a 16-foot span and I had to make it that size in order to get into the gate," he said.

"I have driven the route again just to see if there will be any trouble areas with trees. I see a couple of spots. With this float I can take the wings down. Last year the skirt on the float was too low and as we made the swing into the gate the sides pulled right out."

Elbow Beach Hotel began re-entering floats in the May 24 celebrations about five years ago and has won the best hotel entry for the past two years.

Their theme this year is taken from an old horse & buggy "bus" that was used at the hotel around 1931 to transport up to ten people at a time to Hamilton. According to Kendaree Burgess Fairn, Director of Communications and Public Relations, an original photo - although in a state of disrepair - is still kept at Elbow Beach. As it turns out the buggy driver is the great grandfather of one of their current employees.

The core float committee consists of Heidi Lynam and Paul Harney as co-chairs together with Lee Brown, Ray Philpott, Charlie Simons, Gary Smith, George Weller and Christine Trott. Many others assisted on a casual basis.

Said Ms Brown: "I think I speak for all of us when I say that it is a wonderful opportunity to work with people you would have not otherwise have the chance to - and the sense of really contributing some goodwill for the hotel is very rewarding."