Thomasville Memorial Weekend activities
{Contributed Photos}
As the temperature rises and the Summer fast approaches, so does the momentous annual Thomasville Memorial Day Parade! The Thomasville Memorial Day Parade is a longstanding tradition for North Carolina, having gone on for 35 years and counting, and with it being the largest Memorial Day celebration in the southeastern United States, it truly is an event to remember!
This year the parade is to be held in the Historic District of Thomasville, with the main celebration, the parade, occurring on May 29th starting at 9am. It is to start in downtown Thomasville and end at the Cushwa stadium. But that is only the tip of the iceberg of events to come. The festivities and memorializations being many days prior on Saturday, May 27th. The amount of effort, thought, and care put into the organization of this event is truly commendable, with 11 months of planning preceding the actual event. As said by parade chairman Hunter Thrift, the payoff of seeing gold-star families reactions, the turnout in support of the veterans sacrifice, and the spirit and community of remembering our fallen heroes.
“…Way that we can show how much it means to us and how much their sacrifice means to us, and know that we’re supporting our whole community is extraordinary.”
-Hunter Thrift, parade chairman and city councilman.
In the words of Thrift, what Thomasville does to remember and memorialize our soldiers is truly extraordinary. This year, the specific grand marshal to be personally celebrated is Glenn Ray Leonard. Leonard is a WWII veteran, he is 92 years old and he is a hero.
The agenda for the event includes:
On Saturday May 27th, a ceremony dedicated to memorializing the soldiers who we lost and who fought in the Vietnam war. Located at the Vietnam wall at the I 85 Rest Area at mile marker 100, and set to begin at 10am. And then on the same day at 5pm a Gathering of Warriors at Piedmont Crossing, located at Exit 102 off of I 85. The Gathering of Warriors is an event centered around celebrating and appreciating gold-star families, feeding them and providing programs and support. There will be a guest speaker, songs, and hors d’oeuvres.
On Sunday, May 28th is a day dedicated to appreciating gold-star families, meant to thank them for their sacrifice of losing a loved one. There will be a family meal at the Carolina Memorial Baptist Church at 4:30pm, after which the families will be escorted to Finch auditorium. At Finch auditorium, there will be a concert held in their honor by the 208th Army Band at 7pm.
And finally, on May 29th, the day of the official public parade is set to happen. But before the parade begins, at 8am a children’s choir will perform downtown at the Thomasville Gazebo. After, the performance, the parade is set to begin at 9am, starting downtown and ending at Cushwa stadium.
As displayed by the numerous and thoughtful events held in honor of our veterans and fallen soldiers and their families, the parade is a monumental occasion, not one to miss. As Memorial Day approaches, let’s all take a moment to thank our veterans and our fallen siblings who paid the ultimate price for our safety.
“Keep the memory alive of men and women who have sacrificed everything for us.” -Hunter Thrift, parade chairman and city councilman.
