By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
Memorial Day provides citizens throughout the United States the opportunity o pause and mourn the military personnel who have lost their lives while serving in the armed forces.
As in years past, the communities of Otsego and Plainwell will mark the occasion with parades and memorial services.
VFW Post 3030 is sponsoring the event in Otsego, with a parade beginning at Mountain Home Cemetery at 680 N. Farmer St. and proceeding south down Farmer Street toward Memorial Park. Along the way, a brief stop will be made at the bridge over the Kalamazoo River to do a volley of riffles and drop a wreath in the river.
A short ceremony will be held at the Veterans Memorial at Memorial Park at the conclusion of the parade.
Plainwell’s Memorial Day event is hosted by the Plainwell VFW Post 9377, with Cheryl Parente-Roggow serving as the event coordinator.
“Memorial Day is a day to remember those that gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom,” Parente-Roggow said. “It’s so important that we let them not be forgotten.”
Staging for the Plainwell parade begins at 10 a.m., at begins at 11 a.m. sharp at South Anderson Street and East Bridge Street.
“We will have bands, floats, walkers, fire trucks and have invited the public to march in support of remembering our fallen,” Parente-Roggow said.
The parade will end at Hillside Cemetery, where a short service will take place.
