Cape Coral’s thank you to its rich veteran population is back again this year, as the city’s Veterans Day Parade is to step off onto Cape Coral Parkway on Nov. 11.

Marching down the parkway starting at 11:11 a.m. — the same time and date the armistice was signed 101 years ago marking the end of World War I — Southwest Florida’s proud military and veteran community will be on full display as American flags are to be waved, red, white and blue garb worn, and military gear proudly displayed.

The route travels along the parkway west, from Cape Coral Street to Chester Street.

Veterans Day is a special celebration to honor all of the men and women who have served across all spectrums of the United States Armed Forces, and to commemorate their sacrifice to ensure the freedoms we have today as Americans.

Parade organizer Linda Biondi said she’s thrilled to able to once again put on the event, as Hurricane Ian halted the celebration in a Purple Heart City.

“We are ready for Saturday,” Biondi said. “The parade will be a little bigger this year. It is always a great display of how our residents appreciate our veterans.”

Biondi said the staging area has been expanded this year, with part of Del Prado Boulevard south of the parkway to host the large number of participants that will march.

A plethora of local veterans and their organizations representing various branches of the military will fill Cape Coral Parkway, along with countless members of the community who want to show their support.

Participants in this year’s parade include: American Legion of Southwest Florida Post 90, Araba Shriners, Basset Hound Rescue of Southwest Florida, Blue Star Mothers, Brotherhood of Heroes, Disabled American Veterans Chapter 108, Florida Military Vehicle Heritage Group, Knights of Columbus Assembly 2115, Korean War Veterans of Southwest Florida Chapter 155, Military Purple Heart, United States Submarine Veteran Barb Base, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8463, Vietnam Veterans of American Chapter 594.

Restored vintage military vehicles motoring down the parkway to patriotic music alongside veterans is sure to drum up a feeling of pride. The Cape Coral Police Department and Lee County Sheriff’s Office will also take part, including a flyover from LCSO. Many local high school JROTC programs will take part.

This year’s Grand Marshal is Sgt. First Class (retired) La’Keshia Penn. Penn is a Omaha, Nebraska native and second-generation military veteran. She served in the Army from October 1991 to July of 2012. Her accomplishments include the Joint Service Commendation Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, and Army Achievement Medal, to name a few.

Penn moved to Cape Coral three years ago, and began volunteering with the 20th Judicial Circuit Teen Court diversion program. She currently serves as the Adjutant and Chapter Service Officer for the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 108, and as the Post Veterans Service Officer for American Legion Post 90.

Biondi said numerous volunteers organize the parade “to give our time to celebrate the veterans in our community.

“They’ve served. They gave their time so that we can live the life that we do. And we thank them.”

Midpoint Madness

The Midpoint Madness Veterans Day 5K Run/Walk will close the Midpoint Bridge from 7 to 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 11.

Motorists are encouraged to use the Cape Coral Bridge or the U.S. 41 and Business 41 bridges as alternate routes. Lee County Department of Transportation have placed message boards to alert motorists of the closure.

For information about the annual Veterans Day event, contact the YMCA of Southwest Florida-Fort Myers at ymcaswfl.org. Pre- and post-race activities will be at Royal Palm Square at the base of the Midpoint Bridge in Fort Myers at 1400 Colonial Blvd. The race begins at 8 a.m. To sign up to enter the race, visit runsignup.com.

For more information about the Lee County Department of Transportation, visit leegov.com/dot or email traffic concerns to LeeTrafficTOC@leegov.com. For questions regarding the bridge closure, call 239-533-9400.

Veterans Day Breakfast Fundraiser

The Republican Party of Lee County will host a Veterans Day Breakfast Fundraiser on Saturday, Nov. 11, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Southwest Florida Event Center, 11515 Bonita Beach Road SE, Bonita Springs.

Tickets for the breakfast are $50 each, which will be used to create multiple scholarships for local high school graduates going into the U.S. Armed Forces.

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, who served in the U.S. Navy, will be the keynote speaker, along with Lee County Commissioner Cecil Pendergrass and Michael Thompson, chair of the Lee County Republican Party.

“Supporting our youth in their dream of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is our duty as community leaders,” Thompson said in a prepared statement. “We need to help those patriotic youths in Lee County who want to join the United States Military. Not all students are able to meet scholarship requirements for a variety of reasons. The Lee County GOP are helping to bridge that gap for those students interested in joining the military.”

For ticket information visit the Lee County GOP website.

For more information, contact Thompson at 239-936-8779.

Salute to Veterans Concert

If Veterans Day leaves you wanting more, the 40-member Southwest Florida Concert Band with guest vocalist Kathy Jenkins will perform “Salute to our Veterans” next week on Nov. 19, at 2 p.m. at South Fort Myers High School, 14020 Plantation Road in Fort Myers.

Organizers say the dramatic program will be a musical salute to the dedication and sacrifices of U.S. service members. Veterans will be recognized, and can stand for the playing of their branch marches with the Armed Forces Salute. The Homefront contains memorable songs from the Second World War. The Nathan Hale Trilogy will salute that hero’s patriotic sacrifice during the American Revolutionary War.

The music “The Light Eternal” is inspired by the touching story of four U.S. Army chaplains who heroically sacrificed their lives during World War II and is based upon the well-known hymn “God of Our Fathers.”

The band will play Arlington (where sleeping giants lie) which commemorates the service members buried there.

The events guest vocalist is a veteran U.S. Air Force Band singer who will sing “Someone To Watch Over Me,” “You Raise Me Up” and “They Can’t Take That Away From Me.”

The show will finish with a rousing “Stars and Stripes Forever” featuring the piccolo section.

All concerts are free with donations accepted. Information on the group, its scholarship program, and other performances can be found by visiting SouthwestFloridaConcertBand.org.

Home Base Florida

In honor of Veterans Day, Beasley Media Group has announced that B103.9’s The WiLD Bunch and 96K-Rock’s Stan and Haney will help raise awareness and support for Home Base Florida and its Veteran and Family Care initiatives today, Friday, Nov. 10.

The Home Base Florida program provides important support to veterans, service members, and their families coping with the invisible wounds of war, offering life-changing and life-saving programs and services at no cost to veterans, service members, and their families.

Both stations will interview military generals, veterans, individuals who have participated in Home Base Clinical/Fitness programs as well as representatives from Lee Health to highlight the organization’s clinical care and suicide prevention programs.

The interviews will take place on-air from 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on WXKB and from 3:05 to 5 p.m. on WRXK.

“Beasley Media Group is proud to partner with Home Base to support our nation’s veterans and their families,” said Beasley Media Group Vice President and Market Manager AJ Lurie in a release. “We are committed to raising awareness about the invisible wounds of war and providing resources to help those who have served our country.”

Home Base Florida is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering veterans and service members in the region to take control of their mental and physical well-being. The organization offers free wellness programs, behavioral health support, and outpatient clinical therapy through partnerships with Lee Health and David Lawrence Centers. Home Base Florida is committed to providing accessible, high-quality care for those in need of treatment for invisible wounds. For more information about Home Base Florida, please visit homebase.org/florida.