Above / On behalf of the Judd Kendall VFW Post 3873 and the American Legion Post 43, Naperville Memorial Day Committee Chairman Tom Parker has announced with regret that the annual parade and other commemorative tributes will be canceled for May 25, 2020. (PN File Photo)
Update, April 16, 2020 / Today the following message was delivered via email to all individuals who previously had signed up entries for the Naperville Memorial Day Parade:
Thank you for registering your group to participate in the Naperville Memorial Day Parade. It is with clear minds, but very heavy hearts that we write to tell you that the Naperville Memorial Day Parade has been canceled. This is, without question, the right thing to do, but it is very sad to know that this great tradition of honoring the fallen will not occur this year. However, health and safety come first.
Thank you for the time, effort and emotion you have probably already dedicated to preparing your group for the parade. If you and your group have already begun preparations, please know that it has not been in vain. The members of the parade committee, the VFW, and the American Legion are grateful to you for your devotion to the event and desire to say thank you through your participation. As we draw closer to Memorial Day, we hope that you can all find a way to engage your group in some kind of remembrance or activity that expresses gratitude to the brave men and women of our armed forces that have paid the ultimate price for us all.
We also hope that you, the folks in your group, and families are doing well and remaining healthy. See you in 2021!
Sincerely,
Original Post, April 15, 2020 / Naperville Memorial Day Committee Chairman Tom Parker has announced with regrets that the annual Memorial Day Parade and other Memorial Day activities scheduled for May 25, 2020, have been canceled.
“I have decided to cancel the Memorial Day Parade and its associated activities for this year,” Parker said. “This was not a decision that was made lightly, but out of an abundance of concern for the health of our veterans and the members of our community. I feel that having the parade and our other events that day are not conducive to helping keep everyone safe.”
Parker noted many on the 20-member Parade Committee— comprised of members of the VFW, American Legion, Naperville Police and Fire Departments, Naperville Municipal Band, School District 204 and citizens at large— had been made aware that participation for the parade would be significantly reduced due to school and other closures. Those facts, combined with an expected decline in veteran and spectator participation due to health concerns related to the unknowns of COVID-19, led him to believe this decision is best for this year.
In addition to the parade, the morning Memorial Day flag-raising observances throughout town, the ceremony at the Community Concert Center in Central Park, and the veterans luncheon at the Judd Kendall VFW Post also have been canceled.
“We are looking into the possibility of having a single ceremony that morning, but that will depend on how events continue to unfold,” added Parker. “We appreciate all the community groups that have already signed up to be in the parade and their desire to help us pay tribute to the men, women, and families that have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to this nation. We would ask that everyone pause for a moment this Memorial Day to remember these people and to remember what they gave for our freedoms and way of life.”
As demonstrated by many Napervillians who fly their flags every day, Memorial Day especially is a time to pay tribute to all who serve. On Memorial Day the flag is to be flown at half-staff from sunrise until noon only, then raised quickly to the top of the staff until sunset, in honor of the nation’s battle heroes and all of their sacrifices to protect freedom around the world.
Parker also noted that the Naperville Memorial Day Parade website will be updated to reflect these changes.
For updates and further information, visit www.napervillememorialdayparade.com/.
