Tribute to Heroes Parade back on proper route

The 2023 Tribute to Heroes Parade May 28 was the place to be.

That sums up a terrific effort by the Lakewood Ranch Community Activities staff of Keith Pandeloglou, Aliye Presley, Joanna Bailey and Paige Venuto, who benefit from the backing of Schroeder-Manatee Ranch.

Their assignment was to breathe life into an event that began in 2009, but was fast becoming inconsequential.

And that's a sad circumstance for a parade connected to the Memorial Day holiday.

Like many events, the Tribute to Heroes Parade was ambushed by COVID-19, which wiped out two of the events (2020, 2021). Rain cancelled another in 2018, meaning there had been only one such parade in four years.

Then the 2022 event was moved to the week before its traditional spot on the Sunday before Memorial Day.

Any momentum built from earlier, successful Tribute to Heroes Parades was long gone. You could describe last year's crowd as "late-arriving," or better yet, "not-arriving." 

A decision had to be made early in 2023 whether the parade was worth saving.

The answer was yes.

Bailey was added to the Lakewood Ranch Community Activities staff, and she spearheaded an effort to raise participation in the face of ambivalence.

Things began turning around.

Take, for example, the Lakewood Ranch High School Marching Mustangs. The Tribute to Heroes Parade is a tough gig since it comes after school has let out. That can mean no uniforms and a cast of musicians who are in the Bahamas.

On the other side is that those being honored have fought for our freedoms, have put their life on the line, have run toward the disaster when everyone else is running away.

In comparison, the students' problems didn't seem so significant they couldn't be overcome.

In the end, the Lakewood Ranch High students took it upon theirselves to voluntarily show up to honor the veterans. They simply brought their instruments, marched, and played, and the event jumped three notches higher in quality due to their presence.

The hope is that the parade committee and the Marching Mustangs can come to some kind of agreement where they appear annually. They are the very heart of the parade.

Wouldn't it be nice also if Lakewood Ranch Community Activities could work something out with the marching bands at Braden River and Parrish Community high schools as well. Or perhaps the bands could even rotate in the schedule to ensure the parade always has a marching band.

Judging by their faces, the Lakewood Ranch High students had a great time performing along a parade route that was packed with cheering people. I would imagine they would agree that it was the place to be. 

Social media lit up the next morning about what a tremendous parade it was. You could feel the energy as the entirety of Lakewood Main Street was covered with families, embracing every person who marched past.

Some key changes led to what many people, including Commissioner Vanessa Baugh, called the best parade ever in Lakewood Ranch.

First, the date change turned out to be important, with folks around town looking for entertainment during Memorial Day weekend. The week before is packed with graduation type events and end-of-school events and certainly that didn't work last year.

Next, Lakewood Ranch Community Activities focused on having some great entertainment, and kids activities, before the actual parade.

Families showed up early, which always is a boost to the restaurants along Main Street. By 6 p.m., an hour before the parade would begin, the street was packed.

The Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble, which had performed before the parade in 2022, was back again, only this time the musicians were performing on a stage, which made it easier to hear their music all up and down Lakewood Main.

The musicians were so pleased with their better situation, and the size of the crowd, that they began playing earlier than scheduled, adding a couple of numbers to their performance. The ensemble was followed by Aloha Ukulele and Blue Skye Pipes and Drums.

Which leads to another key improvement — a better speaker system.

Whether the speakers were new, or better positioned, you could hear speeches and announcements all up and down the street. That is nice when parade entries are being announced.

The focus, as always, remained on the veterans and first responders. Lakewood Ranch Community Activities presented a nice dinner for participating veterans and first responders at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall. As always, Gold Coast Eagle Distributing donated beer, while Kelly's Roast Beef, McGrath's, Ed's Tavern, Remy's on Main and Detwiler's Farm Market donated food.

The veterans could either march in the parade or ride in sports cars. Those who just wanted to watch could sit in a special VIP area with covered seating. Those marching in the parade made sure to venture into that area when passing to interact with the veterans and to thank them for their service.

Then there is the question of "how much fun is too much fun on Memorial Day weekend?" Well, Bailey never shied away from that one, saying from the beginning that this is a parade to honor veterans and first responders, and not strictly a Memorial Day event.

So all the candy-tossing, clowns and sports mascots that provide fun, silly moments to make kids smile were included.

Even those who would like a more solemn event have to admit that the number of children present was impressive, and if you don't have them there, you can't tell them your stories.

After the 2023 event, you can expect throngs of children in the future, so perhaps finding ways to tell those veterans' stories might draw some extra attention in the coming year.

So let the preparation begin for 2024.

In terms of the Tribute to Heroes Parade, the thrill is back.