Miami Lakes Veterans Committee, with cooperation from other town committees including Youth Activities Task Force, Cultural Affairs and Public Safety committees, have labeled the 36th annual Miami Lakes Veterans Day Parade which was held on November 8 as the best in history.
According to parade officials, a total of 1402 individuals participated including 63 groups.
The Grand Marshall was Gary E. Cardenas, Commander of American Legion Post 144-Miami Lakes. In addition to Post 144, other veteran’s organizations included the American Legion Department of Florida, the Military Vehicle Preservation Association, and many individual veterans.
A crowd favorite was the helicopter fly-over by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Elected officials participating in the parade included Miami-Dade County District 13 Commissioner Esteban Bovo Jr., and town officials including Mayor Michael Pizzi, Vice Mayor Tim Daubert, and Councilmembers Tony Lama, Ceasar Mestre, Nelson Hernandez, Frank Mingo and Manny Cid.
Participating organizations included the Miami Lakes Police Honor Guard, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, various Boy and Girl Scouts troops, American High, Barbara Goleman High, Hialeah Gardens Middle School, Hialeah Miami Lakes High, Miami Coral Park High, Miami Jackson High, Miami Lakes K-8 Center, Miami Lakes Middle School, Rainbow Park Elementary, Miss Hispanidad USA, Yesteryear Classic Cars of Miami, Zonta Club of Miami Lakes, Miami Lakes Garden Club, Optimist Club of Miami Lakes, and Don Danilo’s Equestrian Group.
The official Veteran’s Ceremony following the parade at Town Hall included an Invocation by Ismo Guzman, Chaplain of American Legion Post 144-Miami Lakes, the National Anthem performed by Mercedes Ferreira Dias, remarks by Lt. Colonel Michael Coote of the U.S. Army and U.S. Southern Command, and the Flag Folding Ceremony performed by American Senior High School JROTC with Stanley J. Brown, LTC, USA (Retired), Senior Army instructor.
The parade’s volunteer committee included Veterans Committee members Alejando Sanchez, Angel Vazquez, Juan Carlos Talavera and Carlos Piedrahita; Cultural Affairs Committee members Dorothy Cook, Felicia Salazar and Charles James; Lynn Ancel Matos, chair of Youth Activities Task Force, and Omar Gonzalez, member of the Public Safety Committee.
Event sponsors included The Graham Companies, Miami Lakes AutoMall, and Andy’s Police Supply.