Noblesville Mayor Chris Jensen has selected Kristen D. Boice as the grand marshal of this year’s Fourth of July Stars & Stripes Forever Parade sponsored by Gaylor Electric.
Boice
Boice, a licensed marriage and family therapist and owner of Pathways to Healing Counseling, is being honored for her work with mental health in the City of Noblesville through her roles on the Mental Health Mondays live streams and the Noblesville Wellbeing Coalition.
“Like so many others, our community faced mental health issues before the lockdowns began last year,” Jensen said. “The COVID-19 pandemic forced the conversation in the front of a lot of people’s minds and throughout it Kristen has provided a reassuring voice, guidance and an understanding that those facing issues are not alone in this journey.”
At the start of COVID-19 pandemic, Jensen and Boice recognized a need in the community and started the weekly video chat “Mental Health Mondays” in April 2020. The series discussed mental health issues and what individuals and families could do to take care of their health at home during the pandemic. The series continues to live stream at 11 a.m. biweekly on the city’s Facebook page, but topics have evolved from returning to the “new normal” to general and topical mental health issues residents may face.
Boice also serves as a founding member of Noblesville Wellbeing Coalition, a partnership between the city and Noblesville Schools. The group is focused on the enhancement of wellness across the spectrum of health including mind, body, and emotional wellness by improving community-wide resources and processes.
A community-wide survey will be launched in July to capture Noblesville-specific data about the state of wellbeing in the city. The survey will serve as a baseline to measure efforts and identify key strengths and weaknesses that currently exist in the community in relation to overall wellness.
“Hopefully, we can use this platform to continue to promote mental health,” Boice said. “I would love to elevate the conversation around emotional wellness even more because I know these initiatives are truly changing lives.”
Boice earned a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy, graduating with honors from Indiana Wesleyan and received her bachelor’s degree from Butler University. She is a member of the American Association of Family and Marriage Therapy, American Counseling Association, EMDR International Association and a trained EMDR clinician. She is married to Mark Boice, an at-large city councilor, and they have two daughters, Ali and Kate.
“I was completely shocked and extremely humbled when asked and just in awe. It is a privilege and honor to be a part of the city’s July 4th festivities,” she said.
This year’s free festivities will take place on Sunday, July 4 with the theme of “Stars and Stripes Forever in Noblesville.”
The fun begins at 4:30 p.m. with the downtown parade presented by Gaylor Electric. The expanded free fireworks festival sponsored by IDI Composites follows from 6 to 10 p.m. at Forest Park with activities for kids, teens and adults, food vendors and more. Hairbangers Ball will perform on the Republic Services Main Stage from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
At 10 p.m., the annual fireworks display presented by T-Mobile, Midwest Paving, RISE Commercial District and J.C. Hart and Republic Development will begin from the Forest Park Golf Course.
Those interested in participating in the 2021 Noblesville July 4th Parade have until Wednesday, June 30 to submit entry forms, which are available online at noblesvillefireworksfestival.com. Registration is $25. The City of Noblesville is waiving the entry fee to all nonprofits organizations that want to participate.
For more information about the parade, contact Kevin Sears at ksears@noblesville.in.us or call (317) 776-6324.