Lawn Rangers riding high

Legions of masked men marching parade routes all over the country have brought fame and recognition to Arcola.

OK, so the Lawn Rangers' fame is usually associated with laughter as men perform drills with humorously modified lawnmowers and those famous Arcola brooms. But they've been in more than 200 parades for almost 30 years, including the Indianapolis 500, Fiesta Bowl and Pro Football Hall of Fame parades.

As co-founder Pat Monahan likes to say, "Never have so many done so much with so little."

The Rangers most recently marched in the Holiday Bowl parade, Monahan said, and he believes their appeal lies in not taking themselves too seriously.

"The people are at a parade to have a good time," he said. "They see a bunch of guys having a great time. They appreciate the fact that we're having fun, so they have fun."

And the more than 1,000 residents who've donned masks – like the Lone Ranger, of course – aren't the only ones who've enjoyed the experience.

Nationally syndicated columnist Dave Barry spent five years as a Ranger and writing columns about the experience. He came to Arcola to march in the Broom Corn Festival parade with the Rangers.

"I've never been more proud than when I marched through town with the Lawn Rangers precision lawnmower-and-broom maneuvers unit," Barry said in an e-mail.

And while the Lawn Rangers helped to put Amazing Arcola on the map, they hold true to their motto: "You're only young once, but you can always be immature."