Parade to honor U.S. military members set for Saturday in Minneapolis

There has yet to be a local parade specifically to thank U.S. service members for their service in the war against terror, WCCO reports. That’ll change with the Twin Cities Heroes Parade down Nicollet Mall beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday. It took a grassroots effort to organize the event.

Author:: BMTN Staff
Publish date:: Jul 26, 2012
Updated on: Mar 8, 2018

Ericka Palmer decided there ought to be a parade specifically to honor U.S. military members to thank them for their service, so she and a group of grassroots organizers put it together, WCCO reports.

She modeled the Twin Cities Heroes Parade after other privately organized parades that have popped up around the country, starting after New York City wouldn’t schedule an official parade. Now she’s gotten an official proclamation from Gov. Mark Dayton and help from city hall.

Here's more on the story:

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About 30 groups marched down Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis Saturday in the Twin Cities Heroes parade, a first for Minnesota and one of about a dozen special "welcome home" parades across the nation to specifically honoring post-9/11 veterans. The event was pushed back from April so members of Minnesota's Red Bull Division could join the event after returning home in May.

Lt. Gov. Yvonne Prettner Solon made her first skydive onto Capitol mall in St. Paul Tuesday afternoon to show support for military families, the Duluth News Tribune reports. She made the 12,800 foot jump in tandem with Army Sgt. First Class Aaron Figel and the Army Golden Knights.

Hundreds of people gathered at the Basilica of St. Mary to honor Brother Michael Collins. The 74-year-old passed away last week, less than a month after he was diagnosed with lung cancer. Collins led DeLaSalle for twenty years and served on various Catholic education committees. During his tenure, the high school saw enrollment double and monetary contributions in the millions.

Minnesotans will get another chance to honor the state's military with the 8th annual Say Thanks Day race at Fort Snelling Saturday. The event, which features a 5k run, 10k run and two-mile walk, is hosted by the nonprofit Minnesotans' Military Appreciation Fund -- an organization that has raised more than $13 million for military members and their families.

The First Lady is in the Twin Cities Friday to learn about how Minnesota programs might help shape national efforts to support military veterans. Nicole Lovald, who started a support group for military members and their families when her husband was deployed twice overseas is among those meeting with Obama.

Madison Lake couldn't stop the tanning salon owner who hopes to organize the world's largest parade of bikini-clad women at Saturday's Paddlefish Days festival. But the 40 women who've signed up is far short of the record of 450.

WCCO reports the service will be held at 11 a.m. Oct. 5 at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in downtown Minneapolis. Eleanor Mondale died over the weekend after a six-year battle with brain cancer.