Oakdale City Councilwoman and community volunteer Cher Bairos has a personal interest in the veteran community. Aside from being a patriot, she is also the daughter of an army soldier who served during the Vietnam War.
Now for the second year, Bairos is looking to the community of Oakdale, as well as the area veterans, to support the Second Annual Veterans Day Parade. First hosted last year with the help of Dan Vigil and VFW Post 2922, Bairos has assumed total responsibility for the event this year, to pay proper honor to those who have served this country.
“I couldn’t sleep thinking about it,” the councilwoman said of her feelings earlier this month about the parade perhaps not being staged, “and so I decided I got to do it.”
Late last week, Bairos put the wheels in motion and early this week began knocking on doors and getting participants in order. She is still looking for interested parties for the annual event, be it donors or participants.
The parade line up will begin on Lee Avenue at 9 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 11. The parade will begin at 10 a.m. traveling west on Pontiac and concluding at Fish Park. A ceremony hosted by VFW Post 2922 will follow the parade promptly at 11 a.m.
“I’m going to do the best I can,” Bairos stated candidly, noting that a full calendar found her faced with putting the parade together on much shorter notice than last year.
The councilwoman shared she is depending heavily on the community to step up and help make the event as memorable and meaningful as the inaugural event of 2018.
“I’d love to reach everybody so they could say, Hey Cher I want to be in the parade,” she stated. “I want my dad to be there, we’re going to have a nice time.”
As the daughter of a veteran, Bairos shared the emotion, as well as the passion she feels for the importance of maintaining this as an annual event. Persons interested in participating or helping in any way may contact Bairos at (209) 496-1134.
Members of the VFW Auxiliary will set up and serve a lunch, while the VFW Post 2922 members will oversee the Veterans Day ceremony.
