Grand Marshals announced for Torchlight

The 2024 Torchlight Parade and Fireworks has announced their grand marshals for this year’s event, 7-year-old Kylee Balfe from Tri-City United Montgomery PreK-8 School and 8-year-old Chase Barnett of Most Holy Redeemer Catholic School.

Balfe, daughter of Matt and Desiree Reak, is from Montgomery. She participates in dance and cheerleading, loves to sing at home, playing on her swing set, going to the park, riding bicycle, playing games on her Nintendo Wii, building forts and playing outside with her dog Bear.

She is excited about her grandmother saying that she’d be giving her an Xbox for Christmas. Balfe found out at school that she was drawn as one of the two grand marshals this year. “I told everyone in my class,” she said. “I think it’s going to be fun. I like watching the fireworks.”

Barnett, son of Kevin and Keri Barnett, is from Kilkenny. He plays basketball and football with his brothers, and plays Fortnite online with his friends.

He is excited about it, saying “It’s cool,” but hasn’t told any of his friends or classmates. Barnet is still on a high from winning second place with his team at this past weekend’s basketball tournament, and he says he might wear his medal from that on the float.

Royalty runs in the family for his older siblings. Ashlyn was 1st Princess in 2015 Kolacky Days, Grace was Kolacky Queen in 2021, and Cameron was a grand marshal for Torchlight in 2021. Chase wants to keep his announcement about being drawn as a grand marshal a secret until the newspaper comes out.

Chase says that he is shy about talking in front of people, but has read in church before, “I was nervous.”

Both grand marshals are very shy and humbled, even with some encouragement of siblings and/or mom in the room.

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