It’s a family thing, a community gathering when Pete Anthony is involved.

So, when members of the Bothell Parks and Recreation Department approached Anthony about being the grand marshal of this year’s Fourth of July Grand Parade, the owner of Uncle Peteza’s Pizzeria said he was in, but only if his wife, Sidonia, and two grandchildren could ride in the main car with him.

“It’s really humbling that people think enough of us to call us the grand marshal,” he said. “It’s not just me, it’s my family and everybody who works for me. It’s a privilege. I love this community — we’ve been here 20 years — and this is kind of the cherry on top, so to speak.”

The parade begins at noon and proceeds west on Main Street and then north on Bothell-Everett Highway to Northeast 188th Street, a route that Anthony has driven many times during the parade with his family and a “Thank You, Bothell” banner on the side of his car. (This year, they’ll be followed by a float with a big artificial pizza on it accompanied with kids throwing candy to the crowd.)

Here’s why Bothell residents are thanking Anthony: He was one of the founders of Bothell’s Junior High Gym Night, serving as a mentor to the youth and providing pizza each Monday night for more than 15 years. He is also known throughout the community for his support of school and community activities.

This year’s parade theme is “Making a Difference,” and Anthony has stayed true to those words all along.

“From Day One, we sought out the business community, showed up with some free pizzas, introduced ourselves and said we can give you a good price on this for your school fund-raisers,” said Anthony, who has run his pizzeria in Bothell for 20 years. “When our children were young, my wife and I were active in their schools and we understood how difficult it was at times to get businesses to support the PTA functions and fund-raisers.

“You can’t just take all the time, you have to give back. It’s been a nice balance — a win-win situation.”

Bothell is an ideal place to get to know people and share in the community spirit, Anthony said, and that’s what makes events like the parade special.

“It’s kind of nice to be able to go down the street and know people and say, ‘Hi,’” said Anthony, who will open a dine-in Uncle Peteza’s in the late fall in the new Safeway center (Bothell-Everett Highway and 240th Street Southeast). “It’s very good for our young people to have a sense of belonging, it gives them some security, as well as feeling independent at the same time.”