{** UPDATE – Leaders at the VA Illiana Health Care System in Danville say they have been closely monitoring the weather. Due to the cold temperatures and expected snow today some groups have bowed-out of the parade. The parade will proceed, however, to honor and celebrate Veterans. So if you are going, be sure to dress for the conditions.}
There is something new for Veterans Day this year in Danville – a parade! It will begin at 10:00 a.m. (Monday, November 11, 2019) at the VA Illiana Health Care System…and the public is invited to watch.
The parade was an idea that came from Shawn Bransky (shown here), the new Executive Director of the VA Illiana Health Care System. Melissa Spady, Acting Public Affairs Officer at the VA, says a lot of people are excited about it…
{‘’We really want to honor, celebrate our Veterans in the community. This is a huge Veterans centric community. And when I touched base with some of the groups asking them if they want to participate, it was just overwhelming the response and the excitement that we recognize there’s this VA in our community – and we want to be a part of it,’’ said Spady.}
Spady outlined the route of the parade (which again begins at 10:00 a.m.)….
{‘’We’re going to start on the frontage road right in front of Veterans Village, and then turn out on our internal circle of the VA,’’ said Spady. ‘’So we will go through our Ambulatory Care Building – our huge building that everyone is familiar with in photos with the white pillars – Building 58 – that is our main hospital. All the way around to our Community Living Center – Building 101, 102, our Mental Health Building 103. It’s going to come past our historic gazebo or bandstand, and then end on the main drive. And it’s going to be decked out in flags all the way to Main Street.’’}
More than twenty-five units will be participating, including a Danville Police Honor Guard, fire departments, Lincoln’s Challenge Cadets and Honor Guard, vintage cars and others.
The general public is encouraged to park on the Danville Area Community College Parking lot near the Bremer Center, but is welcome to park on designated lots at the VA as well. Any motorists who park at the VA should follow the signs to designated parking areas.
