Date/Time
Date(s) - 11/15/2011
All Day
Categories
11th Annual Folsom Veterans’ Day Parade
Date: November 11, 2011
The Folsom Veteran’s Day parade tradition began over 11 years ago with Wayne Spence, a WWII veteran who moved with his family to Folsom from Utah. When Spence realized that Folsom didn’t have a parade for Veteran’s Day, he took it upon himself to do something about it.
In 2002, he walked up and down the streets by himself holding a bunch of small flags and handed them out to passersby in honor of everything that veterans have done for this country. The following year, he approached the city to ask for support for an official parade. In 2009 Wayne Spence passed away but his wife and family honor his memory by continuing to participate in the event.
Chuck Harrison, of the City of Folsom, explained to ZOOM staff that this event really helps the city’s youth groups understand, through direct participation, the meaning the parade has and why it’s important to continue the tradition of honoring America’s veterans. More than 25 groups including representatives from the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, ROTC, high school sports teams and bands, and local military groups joined the event and many local volunteers participated in its staging.
According to Harrison, over 2,500 people participated in the celebration of this year’s theme, “Saluting our Newest Generation of Warriors: Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.” Five judges, including three veterans and KXTV News 10 anchor, Cristina Mendonsa, critiqued participants’ parade entries for a grand prize. For the second year, Beale Air Force Base orchestrated a dramatic fly over, featuring T-38 trainer planes.
