- Video shows the creativity of the 65 participants who came out in support of the parade and the community gathering that took place on Saturday.
The 2nd Annual Veterans Day Parade showcased 65 participants — all paying their respects to those who fought for our freedom in a fun and creative way for the entire community to come out and enjoy.
Bringing a huge community turnout — the parade staring on the corner of 8th and Main and ended on 11th Avenue where participants made their way back to the starting point.
Coordinator for the Veterans Day Parade Sally Medrano says prior to this event, there has never been a parade centered in Delano and she says it was a no brainer to bring the event to the community not only to pay their respects to local veterans but to also continue to educate younger generations on the importance of veterans day.
“A lot of the things we have in this country aren’t free,” said Medrano. “This comes off the work and what they’ve done at you know for our military and so it’s very important for our younger generation to know why we have these freedoms.”
Medrano says aside from an increase in participants, they also brought the addition of Hometown Hero banners, displaying the faces of local Delano veterans to let them know how appreciated they are.
This year also featured Roger Gadiano as the parades Grand Marshall. Gadiano says although he was honored to hold the title, he initially was hesitant due to the fact that he wanted all veterans to share the spotlight.
“They’re serving the country, they’re special and theres not a whole lot of us,” said Gadiano. “They ought to come out at lease recognize that I’m only one of millions who served the country.”
Gadiano says he was shocked to see the amount of people who came out in support, saying that it’s a good way to tell how next year will turn out.
Assemblywoman Jasmeet Bains was also at the parade in support who says the turnout of the event is a perfect example of how community oriented Delano actually is.
“The biggest things about rural communities is seeing communities come together and come together to acknowledge service — especially our veterans,” said Bains. “It’s teaching our kids to make sure that we respect the service that people have done to protect us.”
Medrano, who says she comes from a service family, says she feels truly honored to have coordinated the parade to say thank you not only to the veterans in her family but all veterans.
“You don’t know how it feels until you hear that national anthem start or you see a flag and it chocked you up, but it’s just an honor to be a part of this and honor our veterans because i know how important they are,” said Medrano.
Event organizers say they are truly amazed to see this years turn out and are grateful for the community of Delano for coming out to the parade in support. Although nothing has been confirmed for next years parade, the goal is to come back bigger and better.
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