Beaver Dam Memorial Day Parade Cancelled

4/11/17 – A tradition in Beaver Dam for a half century has come to an end. The Beaver Dam Memorial Day Committee voted unanimously Monday to cancel the parade portion of their program. The wreath-laying ceremony added in the past decade on the Beaver Dam River will also be discontinued. The 10:15am ceremony at Oakwood Cemetery will remain. Manpower on the committee and spectators along the parade route have been dwindling in recent years while costs and the average age of the volunteer base has increased. Organizer David Noe with the Marine Corps League says the plan is to skip the parade this year and see what the consensus is in the community. Noe says many people said they will be upset to see it go, but no one stepped forward to take on the responsibility. He says the committee is open to bringing the parade back next year if enough community members step forward. Noe says the youth that had been involved in the parade will instead be asked to participate in the ceremony. That includes school marching bands performing and the Boy Scouts being asked to hand out flags at the cemetery instead of along the parade route. The theme this year will be: “Honor, Duty, Commitment.