The Proud of America
The Proud of Porterville Veterans Day Parade returns today
A long-standing tradition of honoring veterans that has been going on for more than 100 years will returns today in Porterville U.S.A.
The 103rd Veterans Day Parade will again proceed down Main Street, beginning at 10 a.m. today. Of course as always the horn will go off at 11:11 a.m. in which everything stops for a moment of silence to signify the “War To End All Wars,” the end of World War I, which was proclaimed at 11:11 a.m. on 11/11, November 11, 1918.
Presiding over today’s activities will be Grand Marshal Brian Adams, a member of American Legion Post 20 and a 24year veteran of the U.S. Navy. Also presiding over today’s activities will be Veterans Homecoming Queen, Miss Porterville, Madison Chapman and her court, and her court, Lily Cisneros and Azalea Rose Gutierrez.
American Legion Post 20 puts on the parade, which is considered the longest running parade of its kind in the country.
The parade route will be extended this year through downtown Porterville to Orange Avenue to encourage social distancing.
The parade will also be televised live on KSEE Channel 24. Brent Gill and KSEE Channel 24 news anchor Caroline Collins will serve as broadcasters for the parade.
Other Veterans Day activities returning today are the Veterans Day Run/walk and the Veterans Day Buck Shaffer Band-a-rama.
The activities begin today with the Veterans Day Run/walk which begins and finishes in front of City Hall. The event will begin at 7:30 a.m. and will feature a 10K run, 5K run and 5K walk.
An honorary veteran will shoot the starter gun to start the race.
BAND-A-RAMA
The Band-a-rama returns today and will begin at 2 p.m. at Rankin Stadium. Legendary Porterville Panther Band Director Buck Shaffer began the Band-a-rama in 1970 to honor those who have served the country and those who are currently serving the country.
This year, 11 high school and middle school bands will participate in the annual huge, mass band performance and nearly 70 majorettes and baton twirlers will also be featured.
The event will begin with the American Legion Post 20 Color Guard who will lead Boy Scout Troupe No. 132 under adviser Don Valdez in the carrying of the American flag around the football field, stopping in front of the grandstands for the Pledge of Allegiance led by Master of Ceremonies Eric Ball.
Then the parade of bands will begin, with all the bands marching around the track and then taking their position on the field.
After that American Legion Post 20 Chaplain Eddie Orosco will offer the invocation. Retired Porterville High band director Jim Kusserow, who took the baton from Shaffer, will then direct the mass band in the performance of patriotic music in honor of veterans.
The Band-a-rama is a free but donations are taken following the event.
Bands to be featured in this year’s event are: The Monache Marauder Band, Justin Adams, director; the Porterville Panther Band, Clark Keele, director; The Strathmore High band, Nicholas Walters, director; the Granite Hills High band, Ken Ormonde, director; the Summit Collegiate High School band, Donna Steigleder, director; the Woodlake High band, Richard Mccue, director.
The Pioneer Middle School Mustang Band, Derek Schumaker, director; the Bartlett Middle School Band, Regina Abad, director; the Sequoia Middle School Band, Richard Madrigal, director; the Summit Charter Intermediate School band, Stephen Smith, director; and the Burton Middle School Bulldog Marching Band, Jack Amaral, director.