COLORADO SPRINGS — The start of the In Their Honor Veterans Day Parade has been postponed by one hour. It will now begin 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 9, 2024. Staging starts at 11:00 a.m.
Carol O’Donnell, the Event Manager for the parade, says they pushed the start time back after meeting with the Mayor's Office and CSPD. O'Donnell says they realize the postponement is not ideal for everyone, but they did not want to cancel it.
News5's Piper Vaughn spoke with those in charge of the parade as well as veterans to see what this parade means to them.
Justin Verhulst, an Army veteran, shares his emotions when he found out the first parade was cancelled.
"When I heard it was getting canceled, it was very eye-opening. It was kind of one of those 'What the heck?' moments," he said.
John O'Donnell is organizing the parade. He says that despite weather concerns, the parade is happening and will start at noon.
"Because Mother Nature has stuck her hand into the mix this week, we have decided to take advantage of what is promising—clearing weather early Saturday morning—and the willingness of crews to come downtown to make sure everything is cleaned off and safe for a crowd and for our marchers. We're having the parade on Saturday."
Army veteran Justin Verhulst shares what he hopes to see on the day of the parade.
"I hope we have a huge turnout. I want to see Tejon just lined with people. And I'm hoping for good weather, but even if we don't have good weather and people come out, that just shows how passionate we are. Rain, snow, or shine, it's just the fact that there are no barriers when it comes to supporting our nation's military," he tells Vaughn.
The parade will run along Tejon St., starting at St. Vrain St.
It will finish at Vermijo Ave.
The In Their Honor Veterans Day Parade was planned after the Colorado Springs Veterans Day Parade was canceled.
The public response to the cancellation of the Colorado Springs Veterans Day Parade caught the attention of Colorado International Events (CIE). As a result, CIE has "stepped in to fill the gap."
The Colorado Springs Mayor released a statement about the importance of this event for Colorado Springs residents.
“As a proud military community with an estimated 90,000 veterans that live in Colorado Springs, we believe it is important that Colorado Springs has a Veterans Day parade to honor the brave women and men who have served our country."
"We are grateful that John O'Donnell has stepped forward to organize this year's Veterans Day parade. His willingness to lead this effort on a short deadline speaks volumes about his commitment to our community and our veterans. I encourage all our residents to join us in full force for this year's Veterans Day parade. This is an opportunity for us to come together as a community and express our heartfelt appreciation to our veterans, their spouses, and their families. Let's make this year's parade the biggest and best yet!"
The Colorado Springs Chamber & Economic Development Corporation and the Military Affairs Council have also joined as sponsors of this event to ensure the 25-year tradition stays alive.
Safety and comfort will be a priority for this event, so make sure to wear your proper winter weather gear!
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