The City of Dunkirk is getting ready for its annual Memorial Day Parade on Monday. The day will begin with a memorial service at 8:30 AM at the Dunkirk Lighthouse presented by the Knights of Columbus and a 10:00 AM memorial service at Memorial Park, directed by the Dunkirk Joint Veterans Council, which has been hosting Memorial Day services in the city since 1966.
The parade's grand marshal is Michael D. Edwards, who first came to the United States from England when he was five years old with his parents, Alfred and Evelyn Edwards. Michael grew up in Dunkirk and is a graduate of Dunkirk High School. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1965 and served as a radio operator until being discharged in 1967. Edwards was awarded a Purple Heart after being injured by shrapnel. He was a local labor leader and advocate serving in several officer positions for the United Steelworkers union. In 2007, he retired from Dunkirk Radiator.
The parade will begin at 11:00 AM directly following the Memorial Day Service. The parade route proceeds east on Lake Shore Drive West to Central Avenue, right on Central Avenue and goes to 5th Street. The parade turns east onto 5th Street and disbands at Washington Park, with a hydration station hosted by Revitalize Dunkirk. Most city blocks adjacent to the parade route may be barricaded and closed for the parade. Please be observant for changing traffic patterns.
The parade is being organized by parade marshal and City Youth and Recreation Coordinator Alexis Tofil, while Second Ward Councilman and U.S. Army veteran Frank Torain will take the reins as parade emcee at City Hall.
File photo
