Commemorate Memorial Day Locally

Memorial Day is Monday, May 26. It is a day to remember our fallen service members who made the ultimate sacrifice for this country. There will be a few ways to commemorate the day locally this weekend.

On Sunday, May 25, a service will be held at the Christ Presbyterian Church in Broad Channel at 9 a.m., followed by a service at St. Virgilius Church at 10 a.m. At around 10:45 a.m., a memorial service will be held outside of the Broad Channel Volunteer Fire Department firehouse on Noel Road and then everyone is welcome to start gathering at 12:45 p.m. for a memorial service at the 17th Road Park at 1 p.m. Finally, veterans will lead everyone down to George Rikers Memorial Park for a final memorial service.

On Monday, May 26, the Daniel M. O’Connell Post 272 of the American Legion and Auxiliary will be holding it’s Memorial Day Parade. The parade will be starting after 10:30 a.m. Mass at St Francis de Sales Church on Beach 129th Street. There will be a ceremony and wreath laying at the Four Chaplin’s Monument at around 11:15 a.m. Then the procession will march down Rockaway Beach Blvd. to Memorial Circle for a ceremony and wreath laying at around 11:45 p.m. The parade will then march up Beach 120th to the Boardwalk to the Doughboy and Doughgirl Monuments at Beach 95th Street for the final ceremony between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m.

All veterans are invited to march regardless if they are a member of the American Legion or any veteran’s organization. The only requirement is that the members wear a cap of the veteran’s organization they belong to or their military branch. There will be a reception for participants at the Knights of Columbus (333 Beach 90th Street) after 1 p.m.