Tri-Cities Veterans Day events
Aurora
• The Veterans Day Parade, sponsored by Roosevelt-Aurora American Legion Post 84, will step off at 10:15 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11, at Benton and Water Streets in Aurora. The parade route will proceed North on Broadway to Downer Place and west to the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Hall. Included in this year's parade will be the Marmion Academy Flannigan Rifles, East Aurora High School NJROTC, the Chicago Highland Rifles, the Aurora Lamplighter Chorus and many veterans organizations. The keynote speaker Colonel Layton H.M. Pennington, Chief of Staff, 3/75th BCTB will lead the veterans in the parade. The ceremony "Honoring All Who Served" will begin at approximately 10:30 a.m. at the GAR Memorial Hall and conclude with a military rifle salute by local veteran's organizations at 11 a.m. The GAR will be open for the public to view the improvements made during the current renovation project, before and after the ceremony, from 9:30 a.m. to noon. In addition to local veterans and military organizations, participants will include the award-winning 50-member Marmion Flannigan Rifles, the East High NJROTC Unit, the Aurora Lamplighters Barbershop Chorus and the Chicago Highland Rifles. For information, contact the Mayor's Office of Special Events at (630) 844-4731 or visit www.aurora-il.org and go to Special Events.
Batavia
• The Batavia Overseas Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1197, 645 S. River St., will host a Veterans Day program at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11, in the hangar. Mulligan stew will be served. For details, visit bataviavfw.org or call (630) 879-9630.
• Batavia Cares is sponsoring a Veteran's Forum, in cooperation with the city of Batavia, Batavia Unit District 101 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11. The forum will be held in the Batavia City Hall council chambers, 100 Island Ave. It is broadcast live on BATV Channel 17. Veterans from World War II through Operation Iraq Freedom will be present to answer questions from students from the Batavia Schools. There will also be displays of military memorabilia. The public is invited to attend this event give the opportunity of the students and the community to hear the experiences of these men and women who have served our country. Veterans interested in participating in the forum may call Ralph Gebes, (630) 363-3646.
• Rotolo Middle School, 1501 S. Raddant Road in Batavia, will have a Veterans Day Assembly from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11. There will be a flag ceremony, student and veteran speakers, and music by the school band. This is an annual ceremony for the seventh-graders and community at the middle school.
Elburn
• The village of Elburn invites the community to attend the annual Veterans Day Parade at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11. The parade begins at the American Legion Post, 112 N. Main then proceeds south on Main Street (Route 47), turning east on North Street to end at the Veterans Memorial near village hall. For details, visit www.elburn.il.us.
Geneva
• Geneva High School will host Food for Flight from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11, in the school's Viking Commons, 416 McKinley Ave. Food for Flight is a chili dinner fundraiser for Honor Flight Chicago featuring three types of chili (red, white, and vegetarian) and salad made by the GHS Culinary Classes and bread from Great Harvest Bread Company. The evening will include various speakers and performances from selected Geneva High School musical ensembles. Tickets are $10 each with all proceeds benefiting Honor Flight Chicago. Honor Flight Chicago is a nonprofit organization that sends World War II veterans to Washington D.C. to see the World War II Memorial. There have already been five flights and plans for many more. For details or tickets, call (630) 208-5091.
• The social studies departments and social studies clubs of both Geneva Middle School North and South will host the 12th annual Veterans Day Ceremony. It will include student speeches and performances by Geneva Middle School North's eighth-grade band and the combined North and Geneva Middle School South eighth-grade choirs. This year's keynote speaker is Captain Van Stone, a Vietnam veteran who was awarded a Silver Star, three Bronze Stars, and three Purple Hearts. Students are invited to bring the veterans in their lives to attend. The ceremony will be from 7:30 to 8:20 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11 at Geneva Middle School North, 1357 Viking Drive, Geneva. The purpose of the Veterans Day Ceremony is to honor those men and women who have so faithfully served the United States, allowing us to maintain our freedom. For details, visit www.geneva304.org/gmsn. After the Veterans Day Ceremony, veterans will be invited into the team centers of both middle schools for special activities with the students who invited them. This will last from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., at which time all guests will be asked to leave the schools so that the regular school day can resume.
North Aurora
• The village of North Aurora invites the community to the North Aurora Veterans Day Ceremony at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11. Join them on Veterans Day as they honor the brave men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces who have answered the call to protect and serve the nation in order to defend the freedom that we, the people of the United States sustain. The North Aurora Veterans Memorial is located at the intersection of Farview Drive and Willow Way, near the Willow Way/Oak Street intersection. Members of the Batavia Veterans of Foreign Wars color guard will be on hand to officially raise the memorial flags. For information, call North Aurora Village Hall at (630) 897-8228.
St. Charles
• St. Charles North High School will present its second annual Veterans Celebration at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11 in the high school auditorium, 255 Red Gate Road. Enjoy this free concert featuring the school's band and choir members. It will feature all-American composers such as Aaron Copland, Henry Fillmore and John Philip Sousa. To ensure seats, visit www.scnmusic.com/tickets.