Charlotte Daily

The first West Cape May Christmas parade, now a holiday tradition throughout Cape May County and beyond, was pulled together in 1965 — in less than a week with 10 entries and about $45 in donations.

Years ago, after Chalotte Daily’s 4-H group, which included two of her daughters, won first prize and $100 in the Sea Isle City Christmas parade, they wanted to show off their prize-winning float in the Cape May Christmas parade. But, because of torrential rains, the parade was cancelled that year.

An irate Charlotte Daily went to West Cape May officials to plead her case for a parade and they encouraged her to organize one. From that first 30 minute trek down Broadway, the parade now stretches for miles through West Cape May into Cape May with fire trucks, Mummers, dozens of floats, bands from local high schools and the United States Coast Guard….plus thousands of spectators who line the route of the extravaganza that lasts for hours on the first Saturday in December every year, all thanks to the vision of one woman, Charlotte Daily the Parade lady.

In 1970 Daily, the mother of five children and already known as the Parade lady, went to the Borough of West Cape May look for a job and was hired as the deputy borough clerk. A few months later she was sworn in as borough clerk, a position she held for nearly 22 years before her retirement in 1991. Her career started in a tiny room with files in toilet paper boxes; later she shared space with other borough officials before the current borough hall was built on Broadway. Over the years she also served as tax collector, treasurer, court clerk and even cleaning lady!

On August 26, 2013 the Cape Women’s Resource Fund honored Charlotte Daily at an afternoon Tea in West Cape May Borough Hall in celebration of Women’s Equality Day, the 93rd Anniversary of Women’s Suffrage and the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.