GAINESVILLE - Memorial Day is just a little more than a week away and that means plans are coming together for the annual Memorial Day Parade in Gainesville.
Cheryl Vandiver once again is coordinating the parade on behalf of the Paul E. Bolding Post of the American Legion, and she said Wednesday on WDUN's Afternoon News Wrap that the parade is really a labor of love for the organizers.
"We don't charge any entry fee, there's no money to be made, the Legion pays for the insurance policy, so there's no money to be made whatsoever," said Vandiver.
Vandiver said applications for parade entries will be accepted until Monday, May 18 at 5 p.m. Already the entries include high school marching bands, baseball teams, antique cars and a number of veterans.
As Vandiver emphasized, the parade is designed specifically to memorialize soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice and to honor veterans. For that reason, any parade entry must honor a veteran.
"We have added a requirement that all entries in the parade either be a veteran or recognize a veteran," said Vandiver. "Everybody's got somebody in their family or knows somebody that they can recognize...it can be just a picture on the side [of the entry], a poster, whatever."
The parade was the brainchild of legion member Gene Shadburn, and the tradition has carried on even though Shadburn passed away several years ago. The 2015 parade on Monday, May 25 will be the 13th for the group.
The parade steps off at 10 a.m. from the Gainesville Civic Center and will proceed down Green Street.
For entry applications, contact Cheryl Vandiver at 770-533-7391.
