Bend Chamber seeks Veterans Day Parade entries
The Bend Chamber is seeking entries for the 17th annual Veterans Day Parade.
“This parade honors the service and sacrifices made by ALL military, veterans and their families,” said Bend Chamber EVP Programs & Events Robin Rogers.
Bend’s annual Veterans Day Parade is one of the largest Veterans Day parades in Oregon, with more than 120 organizations participating and thousands of spectators lining the streets of downtown Bend. This year, the Bend Chamber is proud to recognize the Military Order of the Purple Heart. There are about 40 Purple Heart recipients in Central Oregon.
“It’s an honor for Purple Heart veterans to be selected as the grand marshal,” said Darrel Coleman, commander of the local chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. “Having a purple heart is not earned, it’s given to those who were wounded – those who have that spilled blood for their country. It shows that they were willing to defend this nation and represent their country.”
The Veterans Day Parade Committee of the Bend Chamber invites veterans, schools, bands and businesses to participate in the parade, scheduled to start at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11.
Participants MUST attend two planning meetings, which are scheduled to take place Oct. 10 and Nov. 7. The meetings will start at 6 p.m. at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1643, located at 1503 NE Fourth St. in Bend. Registration is free.
To be a part of the parade, contact Bonnie Vandiver at the Bend Chamber of Commerce, at 541-382-3221 or visit http://business.bendchamber.org/events/details/2016-17th-annual-veterans-day-parade-honoring-the-military-order-of-the-purple-heart-3554.
