St. Charles will celebrate Memorial Day with a morning of events

The St. Charles community is invited to pay respect for service members who have given their lives and thank local veterans with a morning full of Memorial Day events on Monday, May 26.

This year, the St. Charles Veterans Center will host its annual activities, beginning with a flag raising ceremony, followed by a community breakfast fundraiser, a parade and concluding with a memorial service.

“Let’s come together as a community to honor our fallen service members on Memorial Day,” Mayor Clint Hull said in a news release. “It is so important to remember and show respect for all those who have sacrificed their lives in the service of our nation.”

The flag raising ceremony will begin at 6 a.m. at the Baker Community Center at 101 S. Second St., featuring a color guard of local Boy Scouts and an honorary gun salute by an Honor Guard of local veterans.

Additional flag ceremonies will be held in succession at the South Cemetery on S. Seventh Avenue, then at the North Cemetery at 1205 N. Fifth Ave., and concluding at the Union Cemetery, across the street from the North Cemetery. The ceremony will be the same at each location.

The Veterans Center will host its annual breakfast fundraiser from 7:30 to 10 a.m. at Baker Memorial Church, located at 307 Cedar Ave. Anyone can attend the breakfast, which costs $5 per person.

As a “thank you” for their service, all current and former firefighters, police officers, uniformed scouts, first responders and veterans will eat free at the breakfast fundraiser.

A new event will be added to this year’s ceremonies; the March of Honor. Anyone with an American flag can participate in the march.

Beginning at 9 a.m., the first 100 people to show up at the intersection Walnut and Sixth Streets with an American flag will participate in the March of Honor. Flags will not be provided.

“We are inviting the community to walk in the parade as a tribute to the 1,300+ veterans buried in our local cemeteries,” Organizer and retired Lt. Col. Mark Powell said in a news release.

The parade will step off at Sixth and Main Streets at 10 a.m., and the procession will end at Riverside Avenue.

After the parade, a memorial service will be held at the Freedom Shrine along the Fox River at 211 N. Riverside Ave. In the case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held in Fire Station 1 across the street.

The service will include a proclamation from Mayor Hull, a keynote address and “Taps” will be played.

For more information, contact Powell at [email protected] or call 630-329-6444.