Jefferson R-7 school officials are inviting veterans who live in the district to take part in a parade and recognition ceremony on Friday Oct. 15 before the home football game.
The veterans recognition typically is held in the Lt. Kent Kiepe Gymnasium at the district’s Danby-Rush Tower Middle School and draws a standing-room-only crowd of students, staff, veterans and community members. Last year, however, the big celebration was not held because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and instead veterans were invited to a small, socially-distanced recognition ceremony.
This year district officials sought a way to return to the large ceremony and came up with the plan to hold it outdoors.
“We certainly don’t want to jeopardize our veterans, but we want to honor them,” district Superintendent Clint Johnston said. “The Veterans Day program is important to our students and to our community. The kids asked if we were going to able to have it this year, and this is what we came up with to allow us to recognize the veterans and still minimize the risk during the ongoing pandemic.
“We’ll have vehicles available for veterans who can’t or don’t choose to walk, and they will parade around the track while the band plays ‘Armed Forces on Parade,’” Johnston said. “The ceremony will involve team members from both schools, band members and other students. It’s all designed to help the community thank our veterans and celebrate them that evening.”
Honorees are asked to assemble at 5:20 p.m. on the track under the goalposts at the west end of the stadium, 1250 Dooling Hollow Road.
“We plan to have them go around the track, then step off and stand to be recognized,” Johnston said. “The band will play each branch’s military anthem and ‘God Bless the USA,’ so people can sing along.”
The ceremony will end with a fireworks display, and veterans are invited to stay and watch the football game for free. The game starts at 7 p.m., when the Blue Jays will take on the Chaffee Red Devils.
Visitors to the stadium will get a look at the new turf field, installed at the end of last school year. ATG Sports in Festus, the company that installed the original turf in 2010, was the low bidder for the project at $446,280. In addition to installing new field turf, the project included new blue end zones, a new Blue Jay logo at the center, as well as upgrades to the long jump and pole vault areas adjacent to the field.