NEMO Shriners to celebrate 75 years with parade on Saturday

HANNIBAL, Mo. — To celebrate the 75^th anniversary of the NEMO Shrine Club, the club will hold a Shriner parade tomorrow. The parade will start at Broadway and Grand and travel down Broadway beginning at 11 a.m. Members invite the Hannibal community, and surrounding communities, to come out and watch the parade as they do what they love, ‘Having Fun, Helping Kids.’

For 75 years, NEMO Shrine club has been raising money and awareness for Shriners Children’s Hospitals.  

Shriners Children’s hospitals are committed to reaching as many children as possible, wherever they may live, and offering them our unique, patient-centered, wraparound care.

Since opening the first hospital in 1922, Shriner’s have been devoted to providing high-quality specialty medical care to the children and families who come to us, regardless of their ability to pay or insurance status. 

What began as a single hospital is now a world-renowned and beloved healthcare system with locations in three countries. In addition, outreach programs help Shriners Children’s provide hope and healing to more children in more places.

Today, Shriners Children’s offers care for a range of orthopedic, craniofacial, spine, spinal cord and sports medicine conditions and injuries; as well as care for burns and burn related conditions, colorectal and gastrointestinal conditions. Our experienced, innovative and dedicated teams work together to provide treatment to help each patient meet their goals and reach their full potential.

History of the NEMO Shrine Club

In July 1950, a small group of Nobles, four from Perry, and eight from Hannibal, went to Quincy to join the Nobles from Quincy Shrine Club on a boat excursion on the mighty Mississippi. That moonlight boat ride was the scene of the conception of NEMO Shrine Club.

The Nobles recognized the real values in a Shrine Club-they saw the opportunity for Nobles to put Shrinedom to work at the local level and to increase interest in Freemasonry. That handful of Nobles was the nucleus for our NEMO Shrine Club. They each pledged $5.00 for the first year’s dues. 

On July 25, that same handful of Nobles started soliciting Shriners in northeast Missouri for membership in the Shrine Club. Less than three weeks later, on Aug, 11, with the assistance of the Quincy Shrine Club, the kick-off dinner was held at the Moose Lodge in Hannibal, and NEMO was born. The first staff of officers was elected by the 116 charter members. Illustrious Sir Albert Theis, Jr., then potentate of Moolah Temple, St. Louis, was made the first honorary member and known to all as the Daddy of NEMO. On Sept. 29, 1950, the first officers were installed by Potentate Theis who presented NEMO with its charter on that night.