The Kentucky Chapter of the American Gold Star Mothers in partnership with the Kentucky Chapter of Honor and Remember present Kentucky Remembers on Saturday, November 5, 2016.
Kentucky Remembers is a “Living Thank You Card” via this one day set aside to honor, remember, and celebrate the service and sacrifice of our country’s veterans and first responders. Three distinctly separate events are being held on the same day. These include a morning 5K Fundraiser, the afternoon Owensboro/Daviess County Veterans Day Parade, and a free evening concert at the RiverPark Center.
The roots for Kentucky Remembers began over five years ago when the middle son of Tommy and Cathy Mullins, SPC Brandon Scott Mullins, was killed in Afghanistan on August 25, 2011. For the outpouring of love and support, the Mullins’ put together what was then called the “Kentucky Hometown Veterans Day Celebration.” This annual concert has continued for four years at Good Shepherd Church with last year’s event honoring local Vietnam Veterans with a challenge coin presentation. In 2014, the Kentucky Remembers Veterans Day 5K began with nearly 200 participants raising nearly $10,000. 2016 is the first year to combine both events on the same day and is strategically planned on the same day as the local Veterans Day parade.
Morning 5K
Now in its third year, the morning 5K will be held at 8 a.m. with starting and finish line at the Shelton Memorial on Veterans Blvd. This year the race is expanding to three categories including the traditional 5K run/walk, a 1-mile walk, and a Fun Run for Little Warriors. The 5K is the primary fundraiser for Kentucky Remembers with proceeds divided between five locally based veterans service organizations including:
- Bluegrass Chapter of the Honor Flight,
- Warrior 180 Foundation,
- Kentucky Chapter of Honor and Remember,
- Kentucky Chapter of the American Gold Star Mothers,
- and the Brandon Scott Mullins Memorial Foundation.
Race participants are encouraged to carry memorial American flags and wear veteran tribute photos on their backs as they run along the race route. The American Legion Riders are providing Corner Marshalling service and the Owensboro Fire Department is providing the American Flag at the starting line.
Registration for Kentucky Remembers 5K is $25 for regular registration and $20 for student or military and can be found online at kentuckyremembers.org.
The FUN RUN for LITTLE WARRIORS will be at approximately 9 a.m. and is free for children ages 10 and under.
Afternoon Parade
The longest running Veterans Day Parade in the country will begin at 2:00 p.m. and go along Veterans Blvd featuring local and state Veterans Service Organizations, area high schools bands and color guards, local boy and girl scout troops, and many area businesses who support our veterans.
Evening Concert
Now in its fifth year, the Kentucky Remembers Celebration Concert will be held at the RiverPark Center. The lobby will open at 6 p.m. for patrons to view displays honoring area veterans and the concert begins at 7 p.m. The program is multi-faceted and consists of music, speakers, and video.
The Owensboro Symphony Orchestra conducted by Kentucky Wesleyan College Music Professor Dr. Bradley Naylor, the Kentucky Youth Chorale under the direction of Julie White, the Kentucky Remembers Chorale under the direction of Dr. Connie Ford will provide a musical soundtrack throughout the two-hour program.
Two keynote speakers including KDVA Deputy Commissioner Heather French Henry, and inspirational speaker Jason Koger will share their heart for veterans. Marine Veteran, Alex Nuart of the Kentucky Brain Institute, Navy Officer Thomas Ashton with the Brandon Scott Mullins Memorial Foundation, Jeff Hastings with the Warrior 180 Foundation, And Patrick O’Leary of the Hershel Wood Williams Medal of Honor Foundation will share brief remarks.
KET Television will be showing a preview of their upcoming program titled “Kentucky Veterans of the Vietnam War: in Their Own Words”. Several veterans from the Owensboro community will be featured during this segment. This presentation is a preview of the program that will air in its entirety on KET on November 10, 2016.
The concert will also have several cameo appearances from local celebrities include
- Friday After Five’s Kirk Kirkpatrick,
- IBM Director Chris Joslin,
- EDC’s Madison Silvert,
- artist Skylar Cain,
- child star Caroline Taylor,
- and Travis and Tara Estes.
100 local boy and girl scouts will also take part in the grand opening featuring the Armed Forces Salute along with the color guards from OHS, AHS, DCHS, the local Coast Guard and Marine Corps League.
Honor and Remember flags will be presented to the three families from past wars including
- SGT William Howard, killed December 1944 at the Battle of the Bulge WWII,
- PVT Robert Wright MIA July 1950 Korean War,
- and SP4 Charles Rates Lewis killed in Vietnam 1967.
The Grand Finale will feature a locally based Parade of Nations including 49 countries. Truly remarkable that Owensboro, a town without an interstate, is home to citizens who were born around the world from 49 different countries.
The concert is free to the community with tickets available at the RiverPark Center Box Office or online at owensborotickets.com. Kentucky Remembers is generously sponsored by several local businesses including
- Independence Bank,
- Glenn’s Funeral Home,
- Owensboro Health,
- Champion Ford,
- Eye Mart
- and many others.
For more information about Kentucky Remembers, please visit www.kentuckyremembers.org or contact Cathy Mullins at 270-316-9203 or by email at [email protected].
To participate in the Veterans Day Parade contact Lou Drawdy at 270-684-7501 or by email at [email protected].
