Letter to the Editor: Thanks for making the Loyalty Day Parade a success

The Loyalty Day Parade in Brandon is one of the largest in South Dakota, and in the top 10 in the U.S. VFW Post 4726 and 4726 Auxiliary are very proud to host the parade to show patriotism, and our support for our tradition of freedom.

I want to thank the city of Brandon, all its businesses, companies and families that participated in the 56th Loyalty Day Parade. There were 100 entries consisting of floats, cars, trucks, tractors, busses, hot air balloon baskets and just about anything else you can think of. 

These numbers are not including all the fire trucks and other equipment from Brandon Split Rock Fire, Valley Springs and Garretson departments, and Brandon Police Department. The convertibles for the Prince and Princess and other VIPs, golf carts for Parade Grand Marshalls and Brandon City Council, the military unit floats, and the Brandon Valley High School Band. Overall, the parade was over two hours long.

It was a cold and windy day, and yet from the time we left the Brandon Valley High School parking lot there were families waving and cheering the participants on. 

There were chairs laid out by 8 a.m. to save spots along the parade route. The crowd was not a big as I have seen in years past, but it was still a success. 

The VFW tried to put the 20-foot by 30-foot flag up over Main Street again this year, but it was just too windy. I want to thank Barnhart Crane and Rigging for providing the crane that we have used the last several years. 

The highlight of the day was after the parade was over, the VFW gave 26 bikes and two scooters away for free to children. Any child who wanted a bike got one free ticket and put it in the bucket for the bike they wanted. By doing this, every child who won got the exact bike they wanted. All 26 bikes and two scooters were donated to the VFW by friends of the VFW. A HUGE THANK YOU to all who donated and made this such a huge success. The cheers and smiles on the faces of the children who won was wonderful.

Thank you to Jill and the Brandon Valley Journal for always supporting the VFW and Auxiliary.

Once again, thank you to all who made the day another very successful Loyalty Day Parade. It is greatly appreciated, and the VFW is looking forward to having another parade in 2023.

Tom Sharpee

VFW Newsletter Editor

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The Brandon Valley Journal

 

The Brandon Valley Journal
1404 E. Cedar St.
Brandon, SD 57005
(605) 582-9999

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