ROANOKE, Va. – Saturday morning, thousands of people will be filling the streets of downtown Roanoke to cheer on our nation’s heroes, right in our hometown.
10 News spoke with parade organizers about why this tradition is so important to say thank you to those who have served.
“We have what we have because of these folks,” Virginia’s Veteran Parade president Daniel Wickham said.
Wickham is a veteran himself and says it means a lot to those who have served.
“As someone who has served, I know what it’s like to give up your freedoms that everybody else has in order to protect,” Wickham said.
Wickham says they’re giving the community the chance to say “thank you.”
[CHOOSE YOUR VIEW: See the Downtown Roanoke Veterans Day parade from all angles on Saturday, Nov. 11]
People can come at 9:30 a.m. to the Market Building for a veteran meet and greet before the parade.
“Just shake hands and meet a veteran in person,” Wickham said. “Get to know their stories and their service, and what they did for us and the sacrifices they made for us.”
Wickham says it’s important for veterans to share their stories.
“They’re getting older. And I think part of the efforts that we try to do as a parade committee with the veterans meet and greet, to us, that is just as vital a part of the day as the parade itself,” he said.
The committee hopes to connect veterans with younger people headed to serve.
“When I see a teenager who’s in JROTC, or a cadet who’s in college ROTC speaking with a Vietnam veteran, that really gets me excited, because they are speaking to someone who has already done what they are about to start doing,” Wickham said.
The parade starts Saturday at 11 a.m.
There will be a few road closures on Jefferson Street and Campbell Avenue for the parade route, so make sure you head out early.
If you can’t come out, don’t worry — we’ll be broadcasting the parade on air and online from all angles!
A full map of the parade route and closures can be found here.