By Amy Batista, Special Writer
CRANBURY – Residents lined Main Street and side streets Monday to watch the annual Memorial Day parade, sponsored and organized by the Cranbury Lions Club.
“It’s a privilege to be able to host this every year,” said Cranbury Lions Club President Phyllis Johnson and parade organizer.
By the start of the Memorial Day weekend, Ms. Johnson was already fielding questions and concerns over the upcoming weather and if the parade was a go.
“I was getting questions about that before Friday,” she said. “I consulted with a few other club members. We decided to make the decision at 9 a.m. Monday morning after checking various weather services.”
Once organizers decided to go ahead with the parade, they notified Police Chief Rickey Varga and spread the word through phone calls, emails and social media.
According to officials, this year marked the 83rd annual event, bringing the community together to honor the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect their country.
Approximately 32 organizations participated in the parade, which was led by Police Chief Varga. Marchers included several local and state dignitaries, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, local businesses and organizations, local veterans, bands — marching, pipe and drum – Civil War re-enactors, decorated bicycles, antique cars, floats, and various fire companies and first aid squads.
New this year was a 50-year member of the South Brunswick Lions Club riding in an antique car.
The parade route began at the intersection of Station Road and South Main Street then traveled downtown along Main Street. It turned right onto north to Plainsboro Road, right onto Maplewood Avenue, right onto Park Place East, left onto North Main Street, and then back to the firehouse where it ends.
“Some folks get to see it twice, but I’m sure they don’t mind,” said Ms. Johnson.
For her, the highlight of the parade is seeing who just shows up.
“This year there was a large military vehicle with a sizable U.S. flag on the back,” said Ms. Johnson. “Fortunately, one of the parade helpers spoke with the driver. We plan to invite them back for next year.”
Ms. Johnson She she starts organizing the parade on April 1 and continues until the day of the event.
“There are many Lions Club members around on parade day to help participants find their spot in the line-up, answer questions, judge the decorated bicycles, and handle anything that comes up,” she said.
Ms. Johnson said that organizers reach out to local businesses for assistance.
“This year we received donations from Brown Dog Produce (Simonson Farms), Conley Electric, Cranbury Limousine, Cranbury School PTO, Gil & Bert’s Ice Cream, New Jersey Community Bank, RA Nichols Plumbing & Heating, Synergex Physical Therapy, Teddy’s Restaurant, Zenergy Wellness Center,” she said.
Following the parade, a brief service was held at Memorial Park next to the Cranbury firehouse. Deputy Mayor Glenn Johnson served as the master of ceremonies as he introduced several local and state dignitaries in attendance, including State Sen. Linda Greenstein D-14, Assemblyman Dan Benson D-14, Mayor Dan Mulligan and Township Committee members Susan Goetz and David Cook.
Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo D-14 and Township Committeeman James “Jay” Taylor were also in attendance at the parade but were not in attendance at the ceremony.
The Rev. Hannah Lovaglio, associate pastor for youth ministry and Christian education of the Cranbury First Presbyterian Church, gave the invocation.
“We remember those who have given their lives in the service of our country,” she said. “Pray that the freedom that they safeguarded for us may continue to our children and our children’s children.”
Ms. Johnson said that many people think of Cranbury as a small town in Central New Jersey.
“It’s home to 3,800 people, but Cranbury is so much more than that,” she said.
“Cranbury is a constellation of falling stars, precious parts of our community that reside wherever in the world. Trouble erupted only to be quelled by good men taking up arms in defense of freedom.”
The ceremony included representatives from the local Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts who participated in the lowering of the flag to half-staff during “Taps” as well as the presentation of four wreaths in front of the monument. The bugler was Chris Gittings; the Color Guard included Chad Babar, Rohan Chavate, Ellie Collins, and Bridgette Mulligan; Jenni Collins sang the national anthem.
Mayor Mulligan delivered the keynote address.
“We’re here to remember people who served and gave their lives for our country and a big part of what they gave their lives for is liberty and freedom,” he said. “Liberty and freedom are very important to me as I’m sure it’s important to you. I like to think it means something a little bit different to everybody.
“We all look at it a little differently but in the end we all value the liberty and freedom and the fact that the people in the military gave their lives,” he said.
He said he thinks that it is important to remember that with those freedoms of liberties come freedom of speech.
“People with different views and thoughts can be heard,” he said, adding that it’s not like that around the world.
State Sen. Greenstein said she always ends up her Memorial Day at this parade.
“It’s a great place to end up,” she said. “Cranbury is what I think many people would refer to as an all-American town. It’s just a great place. People love being here. They love visiting. They love living here.”
She said that they have to be so grateful to the people that were willing to give their lives to their country.
“I’m sure none of them woke up one day and said I’m going to give my live’ but they were all willing to do it and that’s what’s important,” she said, adding that all of these things wouldn’t exist without these people who died for their country.
Assemblyman Benson reflected on his father, during Vietnam, and grandfather, during WWII, who both served in the military.
He said how important it is for we as citizens on Memorial Day to recognize that it’s not only a day to celebrate freedoms but to remember those who gave all.
“Democracy is not a spectator sport,” he said, adding it is something that people must cherish and fight for every single day.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, the decorated bicycle winners were announced: first place winner was Kalina Tacheva; second place was Nico Pisapia; and third place went to Noah Pisapia.
