HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-27-2011 Memorial Day Parade O�SpU T
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Office of the Mayor
MEDIA RELEASE
FRIDAY MAY 27, 2011
10 A.M.
Contact. Mikki Dobski, Communications&Spec Projects, 574-235-5855 c 574-876-1564
Jason Critchlow, Parade Coordinator, sbmemorialdayparade(agmaiLcom
Memorial Day Parade
South Bend, IN. The 2011 South Bend West Side Memorial Day Parade will be
held Monday, May 30th, starting at 8:15 A.M. Council President Derek Dieter
joined with the Memorial Day Parade Committee to announce that "Always in Our
Hearts" is the official theme for this year's parade. In addition to honoring Memorial
Day and U.S. veterans, this year's parade will also be an observance of the 10th
anniversary of the September 11th attacks. The significance of this event was
considered when the theme for this year's parade was adopted. The Parade
Committee also announced that there are 120 units in this year's parade.
The parade begins at Ford and Lombardy and will follow the traditional route,
heading east along Ford St. and ending at Ford and Olive Streets. Council President
Dieter and the Parade Marshals unveiled the sign, temporarily renaming Ford Street
in honor of this event. Lenny Geoff is serving as this year's Parade Marshal and Don
Walkowiak is Honorary Parade Marshal.
Immediately following the parade there will be a Ceremony at St. Joseph's
Cemetery where the names of 680 St. Joseph County Veterans, reported to have
passed away during the last year, will be read.
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As always, the parade honors the courageous men and women, including our local
soldiers and military personnel, who have given their lives to preserve our freedoms.
The entire community, as well as all visitors, are welcomed and encouraged to
attend this long time Westside event and to join in remembering all those who have
paid the ultimate price and to show them they have not been forgotten.
Background:
Originally known as Decoration Day in which graves of the Civil War dead were
decorated, Memorial Day has been a strong tradition dating as far back as the
mid-19th century. Waterloo, New York is the official birthplace of this holiday after
being declared by President Lyndon Johnson in 1966. In 1971 Congress approved
the National Holiday Act designating the last Monday of May as Memorial Day.
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