Gold Star parade planned in Elkins

ELKINS — A parade and police escort will welcome the new Elkins Gold Star Families Memorial Monument as it arrives in Elkins on Tuesday, the City of Elkins announced.

The parade will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the Tygart Valley Mall at 1513 Harrison Avenue, the City of Elkins said. The parade will conclude at approximately 10:30 a.m.

The memorial will be accompanied by a police escort and proceed past Veterans Memorial Park on Railroad Avenue. It will then continue along Randolph Avenue, turn onto 11th Street and head down South Davis Avenue.

The procession will conclude at the intersection of Davis Avenue, Fifth Street and Randolph Avenue, near the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 3647 at 536 Randolph Avenue around 10:30 a.m.

According to the City of Elkins, the parade will include Elkins Mayor Jerry Marco, Gold Star families, veterans’ organizations and representatives from the Woody Williams Foundation, which has installed around 140 of these monuments across the U.S.

“The arrival of this monument holds profound meaning for our community, especially for Gold Star families who have endured the unimaginable loss of a loved one in service to our country,” Marco said in a released statement. “We are deeply grateful to the Woody Williams Foundation for selecting Elkins as the next home for this tribute. This monument will provide a lasting place of reflection, ensuring these families’ sacrifices are never forgotten.”

The Gold Star Family Memorial monument will be located at the site of the All-Veterans Memorial Park, at the intersection of Randolph and Railroad Avenues, joining the All-Veterans Memorial and the soon-to-be erected Rosie the Riveter statue. The monument is meant to honor families who have lost a loved one in the line of service, also known as Gold Star Families.

The official dedication ceremony for the monument is scheduled for Saturday, July 5 at 11 a.m. at the All-Veterans Memorial Park.

On May 15, the Elkins City Council approved giving a $500 donation to support the construction of the monument.

The donation, according to the council resolution, was “made in recognition of the enduring gratitude owed to the families of fallen service members, and as a sign of the City’s commitment to honoring their sacrifice.”

Before the vote, Marco explained to the council that Dan McCarthy, the District Governor of Rotary Club District 7545, wanted the city to have “some skin in the game” when it comes to the project.

McCarthy, Marco said, pledged to personally match a $500 donation by the City of Elkins for a total donation of $1,000. The donation would see the City of Elkins be listed as a Bronze Donor in the project.

“It’s going to be very impressive,” Marco said during the May 15 meeting. “They try to make these monuments unique to the area that they’re in. So, it will be Elkins and Randolph County specific, so I’m very excited.”

The Gold Star Families Memorial will be composed of a two-sided black granite monument and three granite benches. One side will bear the words “Gold Star Families Memorial Monument, a tribute to Gold Star Families and Relatives who sacrificed a Loved One for our Freedom.”

The other side tells a story through the four granite panels entitled “Homeland, Family, Patriot, and Sacrifice” with graphics that are representative of the area where the monument is located.

At the center of this tribute is a silhouette of a saluting service member, which represents the legacy of the loved ones who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Together, these features tell each community’s unique story based upon the “Pillars of the Foundation.”