FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                   

Contact:           Booch Demarchi, Lee County Public Resources
(239) 335-2481 (media inquiries only)

LEE VETERANS DAY CELEBRATIONS
INCLUDE FULL LINE-UP OF EVENTS

FORT MYERS, Fla. (November 4, 2002) – Lee County Government is joining forces again with other public-sector and private organizations to produce the countywide Fourth Annual Veterans Day Celebration, “Freedom Will Be Defended.”  The celebration will be Monday, Nov. 11 in Cape Coral and Fort Myers.  The events scheduled on both sides of the Caloosahatchee River are:

Cape Coral

4:00 – 5:00 p.m. – Veterans Day Parade along S.E. 47^th Terrace in Cape Coral.  Parade route starts at S.E. 9^th Place and ends at S.E. 15^th Avenue.           

5:00 – 5:30 p.m. – Veterans Day Post-Parade Ceremonies, Big John’s Parking Lot at the Cape Coral Town Center.

Fort Myers

7:00 – 8:00 p.m. – 5K “Midpoint Madness” Road Race starts at Royal Palm Square in Fort Myers and continues across the Midpoint Memorial Bridge, ending back at Royal Palm Square.  The Midpoint Memorial Bridge will be closed to motorists from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. for the 5K Race.

7:30 – 10:30 p.m. – Veterans Day U.S.O. Dance at Hall of 50 States, 2254 Edwards Drive in downtown Fort Myers.  Entertainment: Fred’s Big Band; Veterans/active duty personnel FREE; others $5.

Grand Marshal of the Veterans Day Parade:

·        Captain C.E. “Clancy” Rich, United States Navy (retired), spent 32 years in the Navy, seeing action in World War II and Korea.  He flew in 12 different Fight Squadrons in World War II and was Executive Officer of Fighter Squadron 154 in Korea.  He is the recipient of two Distinguished Flying Crosses and was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal twice.  He graduated from Montana State University and has a master’s in International Relations from George Washington Univ.  He is a rancher and winter resident of Cape Coral. 

Master of Ceremonies of the Veterans Day Parade:

§         Chris Sedens is co-anchor of the FOX-4 News at 10.  He is a native of Canada and has spent the last 20 years as a broadcast journalist, the last three with FOX-4.

Master of Ceremonies of the U.S.O. Dance:

§         Cara Jones is a reporter with NBC-2 in Fort Myers.  She is a graduate of Princeton University and began her broadcast journalism career in Southwest Florida in 1999.

For more information on the celebrations and to view maps, visit www.lee-county.com/Veterans/veteransday2002.htm.  The sponsoring organizations are Lee County Government, the Lee County School District, the cities and police departments of Cape Coral and Fort Myers, United Veterans of Lee County, Veterans Midpoint Memorial Charitable Trust, Inc., Lee County Sheriff’s Office, YMCA of Lee County, and the citizens of Lee County.