Alle-Kiski Memorial Day events

Organizations and communities planning Memorial Day activities should send the information as soon as possible to: Carol Pinto-Smith, Valley News Dispatch, 210 Wood St., Tarentum, PA 15084; email cpinto-smith@triblive.com; or fax 724-226-4677.

All events are on May 30 unless otherwise noted.

Apollo

Apollo Volunteer Fire Department No. 2 will sponsor a service at 9 a.m. in Apollo Plaza. William Kerr will be the master of ceremonies and Rep. Jason Silvis will be the keynote speaker. Light refreshments will be available.

Brackenridge

Brackenridge American Legion will have a ceremony at noon in Brackenridge Park, First Avenue. Guests will include the Highlands High School Marching Band, Brackenridge Mayor Lindsay Fraser and Pa. Rep. Lindsey M. Williams. There will be a 21-gun salute, Taps will be played and a memorial wreath placed in the Allegheny River. A C-17 Globemaster III military flyover will be at approximately 12:45 p.m. by the 911^th Airlift Wing stationed at Pittsburgh Air Reserve Station. The public is reminded that the proper display of American flag is that it should be lowered to half staff at dawn and raised to full-staff at noon on Memorial Day.

Freeport

A service will be at 10 a.m. in the veterans monument in Riverside Park, Riverside Drive. Free small flags will be distributed a 21-gun salute by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Vietnam veteran John Hayden of Buffalo Township will be the main speaker.

Harrison

The Veterans of Foreign Wars will have a service at 1:30 p.m. at the World War II memorial on Freeport Road across from McDonalds in Natrona Heights. A 2 p.m. service will be afterward at Mt. Airy Cemetery. A light lunch will be served at 2:30 p.m. at the post, Veterans Lane.

Indiana Township

Disabled American Veterans, American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars will host a ceremonies at 9:30 a.m. at Rural Ridge Volunteer Fire Hall, 135 Little Deer Creek Road, and at 11 a.m. at the township Veterans Memorial at town hall, 3710 Saxonburg Blvd., Dorseyville.

Leechburg

The parade will begin at 10 a.m. at the bottom of First Street, proceed to Main to Third to Market Street back to the borough building for a ceremony and speakers. Tyler Bollinger will be the master of ceremonies, and Abby Major will be the keynote speaker. A C-17 flyover in memory of the late Mayor Wayne Dobos will be between 10 and 10:30 a.m. A wreath-laying ceremony will be afterward at Leechburg Bridge.

Lower Burrell

A service will be at 9 a.m. in Greenwood Memorial Park at the memorial at the top end of the park. Leechburg Road will be closed at 10:30 a.m. between Wildlife Lodge Road and Schreiber Street. The parade will begin at 11 a.m. at city hall and proceed down Leechburg Road to the American Legion on Wildlife Lodge Road. A memorial service will be immediately afterward on the front lawn of American Legion post. Hot dogs and refreshments will be served.

New Kensington/Arnold

New Kensington-Arnold Joint Veterans will have a ceremony at 10:30 a.m. in Roosevelt Park in Arnold with prayers by the Rev. Carmen Butler. A wreath-laying ceremony and speeches will be afterward. The group will go to the New Kensington Gold Star Mothers Memorial on Ninth street where there will be a ceremony at 11 a.m. with prayers offered by the Rev. Harold Mele and speeches by veterans and city officials.

Springdale

There will be services at 8 a.m. at the Allegheny River Marina; 8:30 a.m. at St. Mark Lutheran Cemetery; 9 a.m. at the Harwick Veterans Memorial; 9:30 a.m. at the Springdale Township Memorial on Butler Road; and 10 a.m. at Springdale Cemetery on School Street. Participants will parade at 11 a.m. down Pittsburgh Street from the Veterans Association to the Porter Street memorial for an 11 a.m. service.

Vandergrift/Parks/Allegheny Township/East Vandergrift

Veterans will gather at 7:30 a.m. at the Veterans of Foreign Wars and leave for services at local memorials at 7:45 a.m. Services planned in order include North Vandergrift memorial, Vandergrift Bridge, Century 21 in Towne Center, the Kiski Area High School driveway circle, Vandergrift Cemetery, St. Gertrude Cemetery and East Vandergrift Memorial. Breakfast will be served to ceremony participants before the parade at the VFW. The parade will stage at 9:45 a.m. at Kiski Area East Primary School on Franklin Avenue and step off at 10:15 a.m. A program will be at 11 a.m. at the end of the parade route at the Casino Theatre. Groups wishing to participate should call Mike Reilly at 412-558-5673.

West Deer, East Deer and Indiana Township

West Deer American Legion and Auxiliary and Sons of the American Legion will hold services at 8:30 a.m. at the Bairdford World War II Memorial, 9 a.m. at the West Deer Municipal Building, 9:30 a.m. at Rural Ridge Volunteer Fire Dept., 10:15 a.m. at the East Deer Memorial, 11 a.m. at the Indiana Township Memorial, 11:45 a.m. at Lakewood Memorial Gardens and 12:30 p.m. at the West Deer American Legion. Lunch will be served after the service at the American Legion by the post auxiliary. The Jimmy Switalski Military Scholarship Award and the American Legion James “Mustard” Yaconis Scholarship awards will be presented during lunch. Everyone welcome.

Winfield

A community service will be at 11 a.m. Sunday at Sower’s Chapel outdoor sanctuary, 100 Iron Bridge Road. Special honoree will be World War II Air Force veteran the late 1^st Lt. Frank E. Ekas Sr. Park at Sower’s Chapel and carpool to the site. Limited parking is available at the sanctuary. In case of rain, the event will be indoors.