Memorial Day Parade

Memorial Day Parade

With memories and stories of so many wonderful things about the Hasting Memorial Day Parade and all the fanfare that surrounds it, we are so very disappointed to advise that the Parade must be cancelled this year. The decision was reached after discussion with Veterans, the Fire and Police Departments, Parks & Rec and the many folks who gather each year to help plan and coordinate the event. We all concluded that it is simply not possible to observe the appropriate level of social distancing during this much-loved Village tradition filled with honor and gravity.

This, however, does not mean that the Village will not pay tribute to the brave and selfless men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect and preserve the luxury and freedom we enjoy here in the United States. The men and women who never had the opportunity to return home to the bosom of family and Country. We will honor our Veterans and heroes in new ways and show our respect, appreciation and gratitude for the sacrifices made by those Veterans and their families, friends and loved ones. We will find a new way to reflect on and pay homage to their heroic service and support their grieving families.

We plan to adorn the Village with patriotic symbols, particularly in and around the Veterans Memorial Park and we will as always, display wreathes of flowers in the Park as a heartfelt statement of gratitude toward our lost heroes. During the entire week leading up to Memorial Day we will be showing film clips from prior parades with all their grandeur, splendor and solemnity on the Village TV station WHoH-TV. Through this we hope to portray with dignity and pride the depth of our pledge to honor and remember our brave heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we may live in a nation that respects individualism and is bound by community. Add your personal touch by sending a note to a Veteran you know, wearing a red poppy on your lapel or simply stop what you are doing for a few minutes to contemplate and silently thank those brave men and women who have never returned home to their families and loved ones. Heroes all!

Sincerely,

Memorial Day Parade Committee