Leaders in Stockbridge are calling on local residents to show their support for the men and women of the Armed Forces this month.
Residents filled the streets of Stockbridge at the 2018 Memorial March. The city is seeking residents to sign up for the upcoming walk.
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The city’s annual Memorial March is scheduled for May 27 at 9 a.m., at the Merle Manders Conference Center, 111 Davis Road. The one-mile walk will take participants from the center to Memorial Park and Cemetery, 106 Jennings Way. A luncheon will follow the march at the conference center.
Registration and check-in for the event will begin at 7:30 a.m. Organizers will accept walk-up applications from 8 a.m., until 8:30 a.m.
Stockbridge Mayor Anthony Ford – who retired as a colonel in the U.S. Army – said the march marks an important occasion for his city each year.
“Memorial Day is a very special day in our nation,” said Ford. “Stockbridge, along with other Americans, will pay homage to those brave men and women who gave their lives while serving in the United States Armed Forces. I can’t emphasize how grateful we all should be for their great sacrifices.”
The march has been a Memorial Day staple in Stockbridge for several years. Stockbridge Events Coordinator, Brian Bradley, said more than 100 people participated in last year’s march, and that the community has been consistent in backing it each year.
He said the march helps the community to honor the sacrifices of local military service members and veterans.
“We have an actual military fraternity and sorority who come out and support it, and we have civic groups who also support it,” said Bradley. “Every year that we’ve had it, the Stockbridge High School NJROTC are the official color guard and escorts of the parade.”
Stockbridge City Councilman Alphonso Thomas is among those who will be on hand for the march. He said the event brings the community together in a unique way.
“The walk will provide the community with a time to fellowship with others and with family members of those soldiers buried in the cemetery,” said Thomas. “This memorial observance for the City of Stockbridge represents a unifying way for all citizens to commemorate our history, to reflect on the sacrifices made by so many and to honor the struggles and profound contributions to protect our freedom.”
Thomas said participants in the march will place the American Flag on the graves of 17 soldiers buried at Memorial Park.
“Additionally, The Stockbridge High School NJROTC and volunteers will also place American Flags on the graves of soldiers buried in six cemeteries throughout the City of Stockbridge,” he said. For more information, call 770-389-5982 ext. 180, or visit www.cityofstockbridge.com/events.
