MikeMooreMedia
Downtown Madison Veteran's Parade 11.07.24
Mike Moore media. It's a special time of the year and we have a very special event coming up Saturday in downtown Madison. Howie Terry at Ray Funeral Home is the one behind this special event so he's on our line now to tell us about it. Hey Howie how's it going? Hey Mike I'm good hope you all I am doing just great and we're so excited and the community is excited. Lots of people involved in this. Tell us what's happening Saturday. So we are for the first term so you know I'm hoping that again this is our first go at this so you know I'm sure there'll be kinks to work out but the Madison Merchant's Guild along with the town of Madison are sponsoring a veteran's day parade on Saturday that begins at five thirty. The starting point will be at the Madison Post Office. Originally it was going to be at Bueller Baptist Church but because of the amount of interest and the amount of entries that we have in this we had to move it to a much larger parking lot. So which is a good thing so the starting point will be at Madison Post Office and then it will come down through the center of town and end at the town clock. Currently the parade as of right now we have about 75 entries. Wow that includes everything from floats to motorcycles to jeeps side by side golf carts fire trucks police cars regular vehicles we have Jack Dolly who's going to be the Grand Marshal he's 96 and he's a veteran. We have the Boy Scouts involved so it ought to be a pretty a pretty decent sized parade. Following the parade there will be an 18-minute firework show downtown so folks that are in the parade will have a chance to get parked and then kind of hustle back downtown for the firework show there will be somebody down there singing and also I want to give a shout out to Buck's world. Buck Shelton he's on the May of downtown council. He will be doing drone footage of the entire parade and firework show and he's going to put together a video with music and all for it. And he does a great job Denny. Wow. Yes he does. Yes he does. Okay that's a wonderful addition too. Okay thank you Buck Shelton. Buck's world. Yeah that's great. Okay so it sounds like all of these people that are involved 75 entries and that's all of the things you've mentioned there and and the 18-minute fireworks show that is going to be just that's another whole program in itself are we? Yeah and and I do want to thank the town of Madison for sponsoring that firework show you know we went through the town council and when we asked for the sponsorship we got we didn't get a single no vote so they were there they've been very helpful and you know helping sponsor the parade this year and you know what we didn't charge for entries into the parade again this is our first year what we're hoping is that is that this turns out to be a really good event and this is something that we can continue every year for the town of Madison and maybe next year we can get sponsorships and things like that involved to where we can make it even bigger and better. Mm-hmm yeah well it sounds like a great kickoff for the first time with the veterans parade on Saturday and as you said that starts at the everything coming together there to start at the Madison Post Office and then winding through the center of town and ending up at at town clock with the firework show oh my gosh this is this is going to be a big event so it starts at 5 30 and then you'll have the firework show so about approximately you know I know we got the parade route and vehicles and all of that a lot of people to go through so this will last for those that are interested me about how long should they plan. The parade part again this is our first year so the parade for it I'm thinking you know maybe 45 minutes or so and then like I said we're gonna there'll be a break in between so that everybody participating in the parade is able to get parked and get back down as far as parking after the parade you know anybody's welcome to use the funeral home parking lot town hall parking lot they're able to park on the street so you know they'll have a chance to get back down and with their families and all and enjoy the fireworks yeah all right veterans parade honoring all who have served and why you know this was really your vision why did you decide to do this hallway why is it so important that's a particularly this time of the year well you know veterans days on Monday and you know schools are out on Monday and of course you know we needed to do it on a weekend when everybody would be able to you know be off work and participate but the main thing is is like you said honoring those who have served and especially those that you know given the ultimate sacrifice so that you know that we're able to be free here in the United States there is there's a there's a special praying about about veterans that that are willing to you know sign up and risk you know their own lives and take away time with their own family so that so that we have the freedoms that we enjoy here and you know in a lot of these older veterans you know that was what they say that you know the greatest generation you know we're losing a lot of the there's not many World War II veterans left and you know and then you know you're kind of getting into the Vietnam era now where those those folks are you know quickly patching on and I think that it's very important for the young people to to have that to be able to know you know and be taught about what it means to this country for veterans to do what they do exactly right there another another very important piece of all of this okay thank you for sharing it with us yes we're glad to recognize our and appreciate our veterans for their service and you have that that veterans memorial there very visible for everyone right there at Ray funeral home tell us how that all came about to for those it may not know so I believe it was a two years ago we had you know that piece of fence out there that we definitely needed to update and it was it was old and it was starting to rot and and we so we replaced the fence and we got the thinking you know well we could we could easily have somebody paint you know a mural on this for the town so that everybody in town that goes you know goes downtown would be able to see it so we got to thinking about the actual you know veterans part of it and decided to do that entire side of the funeral home as a veterans a small veterans memorial park kind of thing people are able to walk through and and that sort of thing but you know at we asked the artists and made and Ashley kick up to come and kind of be the the vision behind the mural and it turned out to be to be really nice she did a great job and you know we did the unveiling and all a couple of years ago and and I've you know I've seen a lot of folks that will you know has never been to Madison before kind of come downtown and they'll stop and take pictures of it and that sort of thing but yeah it it's just it was a way for for us being downtown right across from town hall to to really show off veterans and you know honor their sacrifice yeah to honor them there for sure yeah that's very nice okay well I know maybe we'll give you phone number here at the Indians or anything else we need to mention how we I do not think so I think we pretty much covered it again line up for the parade will begin at four thirty at the Madison Post Office for those that are wanting to participate and then we should roll out about five thirty and again this is our first year so I'm sure there'll be kinks but me and team of guys we're gonna plan on going to post office tomorrow to kind of map out how we want the line folks up so we should have it pretty organized and and again this the first year so we will have some kinks I'm sure but we're excited about it and and we think it'll be something really nice that we can continue in the years to come for the town of Madison yeah I agree with you on that and this would be great for everyone to come out to the the premier the inaugural one of this and as this continues through the years let's give you phone number here at the end how if you would please if someone needs to call you sure if my number is three three six six one three seven one three two and that is my sale or they can call the funeral home at three three six five four eight nine six zero six so they can reach me at either either or okay all right Halle thank you and the team and the town and the merchants guild and everybody involved for making this happen and that will see you on Saturday for the veterans parade sounds good Mike take care you too bye bye that's how we Terry he's right there at Ray Funeral Home downtown Madison the veterans parade is this Saturday November 9th it starts at 5 30 lineup at 4 30 at the post office on Highway Street and then the parade making its way through the downtown area ending up at the historic town clock going down near the railroad tracks there and madtown tubing and all in that area but going past the entire downtown business district and Jack Jolly it will be the Grand Marshal he mentioned 96 a veteran and a lot of people involved in the veterans parade and you are invited personal invitation there from Howie to to get that parade on Saturday and if you and oh I need to mention one more time yeah the firework show 18 minutes there at the town clock at the end of the parade now if you need more information call Howie at Ray Funeral Home three three six six one three seven one three two six one three seventy one thirty two hope you can get out for that and be a part of this this wonderful moment honoring our veterans veterans day is Monday the 11th [ Silence ]
Howie Terry, Ray Funeral Home, previews this premier event, with over 75 entries and fireworks show at the historic Town Clock. Presented by Town of Madison and Madison Merchants Guild. Howie Terry, 336.613.7132