Veteran Luckinbill named W. Aurora H.S. parade grand marshal

Submitted by West Aurora High School

Veteran Herschel Luckinbill is working tirelessly to make Aurora the most patriotic city in America come this November, but on Thursday, Sept. 26 he will be the center of attention as the grand marshal of the West Aurora High School Homecoming parade.

Known as “the veterans’ veteran,” Luckinbill heads up a team that is bringing the Vietnam Memorial Moving Wall and other traveling military memorials to West Aurora High School this fall.

He will lead the homecoming parade, which kicks off at 3 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26. The parade route starts at Garfield and Calumet, goes east to Fordham, south to Kensington, then west back to Calumet.

In addition to the parade, the high school will have other public homecoming events.

The Mr. Handsome contest will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25, in the auditorium, 1201 W. New York St. in Aurora. Tickets are $10 for the general public.

After the parade on Sept. 26, the powder puff football game kicks off at 6 p.m. Tickets are $5.

Then on Friday, Sept. 27, the sophomore homecoming game against Naperville Central begins at 5 p.m. and the varsity game at 7:30 p.m.

There will be a special homecoming tent and bleachers inside the stadium for alumni, thanks to the A+ Foundation for West Aurora Schools. The tent will have yearbooks, popcorn, lemonade and a basket raffle.