An event held over the weekend in Pittsford was designed to bring families and friends together to commemorate the lives and legacy of fallen soldiers, in advance of Memorial Day.
The ceremony on Saturday was held at White Haven Memorial Park, which has a memorial specifically dedicated to Gold Star families. Those are families who have lost a loved one in U.S. military service.
One mother of a fallen soldier, Miriam Velez, said that her son, Marine Corporal Reynold Armand died in Iraq in 2007 at the age of 21.
Velez said that memorials like this are significant for her because she can come to represent her son in order to keep his name and memory alive.
“So being here means a lot because you're with families that understand the pain of what we went through,” said Velez. “A lot of people don't understand, it’s like, you have to try to educate them to know what it really means.”
Velez said her son was inspired to become a Marine like his father and uncle, prior to Armand graduating from Eastridge High School.
“He decided to join the Marines because he was at our youth group at church. And there was two of the kids that were in youth group that were doing the ROTC. So, I guess he decided to follow in their footsteps and become a Marine,” said Velez.
Nick Stefanovic heads up the Monroe County Veterans Service Agency. He spoke at Saturday’s ceremony about Gold Star mothers who were at Saturday’s ceremony, including Dorothy Reid, whose son, Army Staff Sgt. Nicholas Reid, died in 2012 from wounds he suffered in Afghanistan.
"There are people who have traits and characteristics that our society needs today,” said Stefanovic. “And knowing Dorothy and all of the other Gold Star parents that I've worked with, since I've been at the county has been a great honor and a pleasure."
It’s estimated that there are around 35 Gold Star families now living in the Rochester area.
There were various ceremonies all weekend to honor those who gave their lives in the service of their country, and those activities continue on Monday, May 29, including:
Rochester’s Memorial Day Parade which will step off at 10:30 a.m. on Monday at the intersection of East Avenue and Alexander Street, proceed westbound on East Avenue to Main Street, then westbound on Main Street to St. Paul Street where the parade will disband.
The parade route will be closed to traffic at 10 a.m. and will reopen after the parade is completed, around 1 p.m. Staging streets will be closed to traffic from approximately 8:30 to 11 a.m. with staggered openings as participants enter the parade.
The following streets will be closed for parade staging areas:
- East Avenue between Alexander Street and Arnold Park
- Sibley Place at East Avenue
- Meigs Street between Park Avenue and East Avenue
- Arnold Park from East Avenue to Park Avenue
- Strathallan Park from East Avenue to University Avenue
- Prince Street between East Avenue and College Avenue
The Town of Brighton holds a Memorial Day ceremony on Monday, 2:00 p.m., at Buckland Park, 1341 Westfall Rd.
The Town of Greece has a Memorial Day Parade and ceremony on Monday including:
11:00 AM – The parade in Greece will proceed down Long Pond Road from Janes Road to the Greece Town Hall Campus.
11:45 AM –Remembrance Ceremony at the Greece Town Hall Pavilion.
The Village of Hilton has a parade that begins at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the intersection of East Avenue and Canning Street, proceeding west to Main Street and onto West Avenue, ending at the Gazebo after turning onto Henry Street. There will be a short ceremony starting approximately at 11:00 a.m. on the South lawn of the Hilton Community Center.
The Town of Penfield will host its Memorial Day Ceremony of Remembrance on Monday at Penfield Amphitheater in Veterans Memorial Park (3100 Atlantic Ave). The ceremony will begin at 10:30 a.m.
The Town of Pittsford’s Memorial Day parade on Monday starts at 10:00 a.m. parade, with a remembrance ceremony following at Pittsford Cemetery.
The Town of Victor holds a parade on Monday starting at 10:30 a.m. The route is from the Victor Central School Campus, to High Street, and the Village Hall parking lot with a ceremony following the parade at the Village Hall.
The Town of Webster hold a parade starting at 9:30 .m. beginning at Spry Middle School, then to South Ave., and then west on Main St. The route end at Webster Rural Cemetery where there will be a memorial service.
