November 07, 2008

Grand Island Veterans Day Parade scheduled

The 10th annual Grand Island Veterans Day Parade will begin at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11.

The Grand Island Veterans Home and Grand Island Senior High School sponsor the event, in which approximately 3,000 students participated last year, including students from the high school and Walnut Middle School.

The purposes of the parade are to pay tribute to people who have served or are serving in the U.S. Armed Forces and to teach students about the sacrifices veterans have made and the importance of freedom, said Nancy Klimek with the Grand Island Veterans Home.

The parade will feature a "Unity Band" comprised of students from Grand Island Senior High, Northwest High School, and Central Catholic High School, said Tom Kruger, an assistant principal at Grand Island Senior High School.

Each homeroom class at Grand Island Senior High School will make a banner to carry in the parade. The banners will be posted at the Grand Island Veterans Home at 2300 W. Capital Ave. following the parade.

State Sen. Ray Aguilar and Mike Gloor, who was just elected to replace Aguilar in the Legislature, are among people who will appear in the parade, Klimek said. Military vehicles and floats are also featured in the parade.

The parade proceeds from the high school north on Lafayette Street to the Grand Island Veterans Home. It is suggested that those who want to watch the parade park on the west side of the United Veterans Club and then gather on the lawn on the south side of the Veterans Home. After the combined band plays at the Veterans Home, parade participants continue back to Grand Island Senior High School.

For more information, contact: Tom Kruger, assistant principal, Grand Island Senior High School, 2124 N. Lafayette, (308) 385-5950, tkruger@gips.org; Nancy Klimek, Grand Island Veterans Home, 2300 W. Capital Ave., (308) 385-6252, ext. 458, nancy.klimek@nebraska.gov