Contact:  Jason Bartolone, Communications Specialist   941-928-3988; jason.bartolone@sarasotaFL.gov

Sarasota, FL: The City of Sarasota, in conjunction with the Sarasota Patriotic Observance Committee, will host the annual Memorial Day parade at 10 a.m. Monday, May 30, in downtown Sarasota.   

The parade will start at Main Street and Osprey Avenue and conclude at Chaplain J.D. Hamel Park, located at Main Street and Gulfstream Avenue, where a ceremony will be held at approximately 11 a.m.  The public is encouraged to attend.

The theme for the 2022 ceremony is “All Gave Some. Some Gave All.” The keynote speaker will be Cindy West, a U.S. Army veteran and registered nurse. West is a graduate of Sarasota High School who now works as a resource nurse on Sarasota Memorial Hospital’s Behavioral Health Intervention Team. She also serves on the Sarasota Military Academy board of directors, is a former Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office deputy and has been active in many local organizations.

The parade will include performances by the Sarasota Military Academy band and drumline and participation from local law enforcement agencies, first responders, color guards, veterans’ groups, community organizations and local dignitaries. It will also feature a performance by more than 100 members of the Blair High School band visiting from Omaha, Neb.

For more information, contact Dan Kennedy, Patriotic Observance Committee Chairman, at 941-812-5406.

About the City of Sarasota:  Distinguished by U.S. News and World Report as one of the top 10 Best Places to Live in the U.S., the City of Sarasota is a diverse and inclusive community located on Florida’s Suncoast with 56,000 year-round residents, several internationally recognized cultural arts venues, stunning sunsets along Lido Beach and Major League spring training baseball with the Baltimore Orioles.  Learn more about us at www.SarasotaFL.Gov