The annual Honor Parade will be returning to Mahomet this year in recognition of the first responders who were pivotal amidst the pandemic this past year.
The Mahomet Lions Club, an organization whose main goal is volunteerism and giving back to the community, will be sponsoring the parade.
As stated by the Mahomet Lions Club, the parade will be a 1.7-mile journey beginning at the Lincoln Trail Elementary School Parking lot at 2:00 p.m..
“No matter what is going on in our community, our main concern is trying to help people in the community of Mahomet and surrounding areas,” said Cory Mitchell, member of the board of directors for the Lions Club of Mahomet.
While the organization’s main goal is to provide help to those with hearing and sight impairments, the Lions Club dedicated its efforts to establish this parade honoring the police officers, firefighters, doctors and nurses who have dedicated their lives to the community.
The funds collected at the parade will directly go back into the community for local efforts.
“It’s very important that we recognize these people. We don’t care where anyone comes from, and it’s welcome to anyone who wants to be a part of it,” said Mitchell.
The parade took place in August in 2020, and now will be held on June 19th this year.
June 19th marked as the day that African Americans were emancipated from slavery in 1865. Illinois legislators are currently reviewing the passing of a bill that recognizes the day as a national holiday.
Currently, 47 states recognize June 19th, or “Juneteenth” as a national holiday.
“After the parade last year we looked at dates with conflicts and other parades taking place. There were no other parades taking place on June 19th and with Fathers Day weekend around the corner we tried to tie it to that as well,” said Mitchell.
Mitchell said the Lions Club took their time to see what dates would work that wouldn’t infringe on any other community engagements.
While Teresa Edmonds, a Mahomet local, feels very passionate about uplifting the first responders of the community, she thinks the date could have been reevaluated.
“It’s a very unfortunate choice of date,” said Edmonds.
Edmonds felt that hosting the parade on a racially historical day is disregarding the significance of Juneteenth.
“If our country wasn’t going through all the racially-charged things we were dealing with right now and if it was not scheduled on June 19th, I would think it’s wonderful,” said Edmonds.
