Loyalty Day parade to celebrate patriotism
Batavia's annual Loyalty Day parade taps into a deep vein of patriotism and pride.
The annual march takes place at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, May 3. The VFW-organized parade, with 109 units and about 2,200 people, is chock full of marching bands, veterans organizations, Scout troops, youth sports teams and the like _ much like a Fourth of July parade.
It starts at Raddant Road and Wilson Street, then proceeds west on Wilson to River Street (Route 25). It turns south, and ends at VFW Overseas Post 1197, 625 S. River.
But Loyalty Day _ which is officially May 1 _ has a complex background.
May 1, or May Day, has for centuries been a day celebrating spring in Europe. But around 1890, in response to the deadly 1886 Haymarket Square labor uprising in Chicago, the Socialist International Party declared May 1 as a day of pro-labor demonstrations.
As socialism and communism gained strength, leaders used it to protest capitalism and imperialism, including the infamous massive parades of weaponry and soldiers marching through Red Square in Moscow in the Soviet Union.
The national VFW established Americanism Day in April 1921 to counter the Communists, and in 1930 called for renaming May Day as Loyalty Day, "to publicly display responsible citizenship and patriotism," according to historical materials from the national VFW.
In 1958, Congress and President Dwight Eisenhower made Loyalty Day official.
The grand marshals of Sunday's parade are the Family Readiness Group of Company C of the 106th Cavalry, and the 393rd Tactical Psychological Operations Company, both based out of Aurora. The theme is "Batavia VFW: A Place to Call Home."
Notably absent from the parade will be the Batavia High School and Rotolo Middle School bands. The middle school was closed Wednesday and the high school on Thursday because of concerns over the swine flu. But the students may still watch the parade.
After the parade, the public is welcome to donate blood at a drive at the VFW from 2 to 6:30 p.m. The VFW will also have a prize raffle, sell food, and have inflatable "moonwalk" units for children to play on.