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Fall Foliage Parade Provides Background for Wedding Proposal
iBerkshires Staff,
04:50PM / Sunday, October 05, 2014
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Florida volunteer firefighter Christopher Gleason and Heather Shartrand seal their engagement with kiss — accompanied by sirens and horns from the line of fire trucks stopped on Main Street.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The 59th annual Fall Foliage Parade marched through downtown under beautiful blue skies — and a smiley face created by a plane just before the parade reached Main Street.

The line of march was filled with bands, local groups, politicians, some pretty incredible floats celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Mohawk Trail, and of course, a line of fire trucks, police cruisers and ambulances.

But one of those fire trucks made an unexpected stop at the grandstand so Florida firefighter Christopher Gleason could hop off and ask someone a very important question:

Would Heather Shartrand marry him?

The answer was "yes," accompanied by the shrieking of horns and sirens from all the emergency vehicles whose crews knew about the proposal. And apparently everyone in emergency services was in on the game plan, as well as the parade announcer.

It seems the only one who didn't know there was going to be a special event was Shartrand, of Pownal, Vt., who seemed a little stunned.

"We had been talking about getting married, but not when," she said, showing of her glittering ring.

The couple have been together for four years and have 2-year-old son, Hunter, who was more interested in his father's red truck than his mom's diamond ring.

"The is the first parade where he understands what's going on," she said.

The proposal prompted some tears from Christopher's mom, Paige Gleason, an emergency medical technician with North Adams Ambulance. But it wasn't unexpected, she said.

"This has been planned for awhile," said Gleason, as the fire trucks continued on their way up Main Street.

 
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