Memorial Day parade set for May 27 in Cleveland

The Second Annual Memorial Day Parade, sponsored by the Unity Committee of Cleveland, is set for Monday, May 27, at 10 a.m. in downtown Cleveland. The parade will honor all local veterans and will culminate with a wreath ceremony at the Veterans Memorial in Cleveland.

The parade will not run along the same route as other annual parades in Cleveland. It will start at Stancil Park at 211 Peach St., travel west down Houston St. and turn south at Travis St. before ending at the Veterans Memorial at the intersection of Bonham and Hanson streets where the wreath ceremony will take place.
During the ceremony, veterans and their family members will enjoy the ceremony under the shaded comfort of tents provided by Pace-Stancil Funeral Home. Cory Rodriguez, a local Eagle Scout, will lead the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag.

The guest speaker at the wreath ceremony will be Greg Joyce, a member of the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), an organization that focuses on veterans’ benefits, advocacy, accessible housing and promoting Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.

Joyce served for 16 years in the military in the US Air Force and Air National Guard before developing a spinal cord disease. He was medically retired by the Air Force in 1993.

Cleveland Police Department and Cleveland Fire Department will participate in the parade.

“The American Legion members will be sporting their brand new honor guard uniforms for the first time during this special event,” said Kim Shelton, Unity Committee organizer and member. “We invite all veterans to come ride on a float, ride a special vehicle or just come and watch. We want them to come out so that we, as a community, can show our appreciation to them in person.”

Any Cleveland ISD student involved in organizations such as honor society, student ambassadors or student council, who needs to use some of their service hours, is encouraged to contact the American Legion or VFW to assist with decorating the floats for the veterans.

For more information about the parade, call Kim Shelton at the Cleveland Civic Center by calling 281-592-2395.