City of Sarasota to host Memorial Day parade starting at 10 a.m. on May 30

Ceremony at approximately 11 a.m. in Chaplain J.D. Hamel Park to have theme All Gave Some. Some Gave All

This is a scene from the 2012 Memorial Day Parade in downtown Sarasota. File photo

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

The parade will start at the intersection of Main Street and Osprey Avenue and conclude at Chaplain J.D. Hamel Park, located at the intersection of Main Street and Gulfstream Avenue. At the park, a ceremony will be held at approximately 11 a.m., a news release notes.

The public is encouraged to attend the events.

The theme for the 2022 ceremony is All Gave Some. Some Gave All, the release adds. The keynote speaker will be Cindy West, a U.S. Army veteran and registered nurse, the release notes. West is a graduate of Sarasota High School who “works as a resource nurse on Sarasota Memorial Hospital’s Behavioral Health Intervention Team,” the release points out. “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 release says.

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