Gulfport Parade Honors Veterans
Check out our photos from the second annual Veterans Day Parade in Gulfport! Did you take photos too, upload them here!
Dozens of people lined the streets of Gulfport and cheered for veterans, organizations and other participants in the second annual Veterans Day Parade in downtown Gulfport on Saturday.
Army Lt. Col. Kathy Champion, an Afghanistan and Iraq War veteran and Gulfport native who received a service dog from the Paws for Patriots program was invited to be the grand marshal this year.
Several local organizations like the American Legion Andy Anderson Post 125, Gulfport Area Chamber of Commerce and Veterans of South Pinellas County tossed beads and candy into the crowd.
City departments also joined in the parade. Mayor Mike Yakes waved the American Flag high, Gulfport's recycling department sounded off and firefighters with the Gulfport Fire Department waved at onlookers.
Veterans with VETSports rallied the crowd prior to Sunday's benefit volleyball match against the Gulfport Police & Firefighters and players and cheerleaders with the Gulfport Pirates cheered as well.
Marine and Stetson University College of Law LL.M. student Javier Centonzio, who graduated with his J.D. in May, started the Heroes Weekend community events with Bob Worthington last year and continued the events again this Veterans Day Weekend.
Check out our photos from the parade! Did you take some pictures too? Upload them right here to share them with Gulfport Patch and your neighbors!
Lynda
9:30 am on Sunday, November 11, 2012
Nice pictures. Great Parade. Loved the service dog in the convertible!
Cherlene Willis
10:08 am on Sunday, November 11, 2012
Thanks Lynda! I love parades!
CJ
11:05 am on Sunday, November 11, 2012
How am I missing some of these events? First I missed that excellent sounding fish fry by that local family/business a month ago or so...and now I have missed this Veteran's Day Parade. I did not see anything about either of these events until the next day after them on The Patch today. It's OK, there is so much other stuff that I see, that missing something here and there is going to happen...but, I certainly would not have missed this parade. I can't figure out how I did not see anything about it anywhere. It looks like it was a good one. Guess I will just have to be satisfied helping with the human chain today and doing some BBQ and sharing with a couple of my fellow Vet neighbors, lol! It does not matter ''what'' we do to honor Vets around Veteran's Day, but everyone should try to do ''something'' no matter how trivial it may seem. This year Vet's are really getting the treatment...there have been more days of events than usual. Bravo! There have been events on Saturday, Sunday (because it is the actual Veterans Day), and also Monday (the legal holiday one). Reading about this Saturday Parade surprised me, because I some how missed it's annoucement. God Bless Our Veterans, and especially those serving actively right now. As citizen's, it's so easy to get complacent and fail to grasp the fact that as we speak, there are some of our soldiers in harm's way.
Cherlene Willis
11:48 am on Sunday, November 11, 2012
CJ! Did you check out our story, "Heroes Weekend: What to Know" - here is the link: http://gulfport.patch.com/articles/heroes-weekend-what-you-need-to-know
There's still a benefit concert tonight at the Gulfport Casino Ballroom and the volleyball match is at 1 p.m. today.
CJ
8:39 am on Monday, November 12, 2012
Thanks. Yes...I did read that and I missed the part about the parade...but I went to the volleyball game, and also was in the human chain with my family. that was a very nice day down at the Gulfport Beach. The new improvement are noticeable. The new Volleyball Courts, The White sand, those old pillar ruins gone....good job Gulfport! No worry...today (Monday) there are a few Veterans Day events going on around the area and getting ready to head out to one right now....have a great week. That's easy to do here.
Cherlene Willis
9:01 am on Monday, November 12, 2012
CJ! Awesome! So glad you were able to stop by Sunday's events in Gulfport! They really had A LOT planned this year! Can't wait until next year!