Message from Councilman Roc White | April 8, 2022
Planning is now in full swing for the 2022 Scotch Plains-Fanwood Memorial Day Parade. The organizing committee is hard at work, coordinating the annual concert on Friday, May 27, followed by the big parade on Monday, May 30.
We are eager to use this moment to honor our World War II veterans living in the community.
Every day, we take one step closer to losing members of the Greatest Generation, as so many of the courageous men and women who fought and secured this enormous global victory are now in their late 80s and 90s.
It is difficult to recognize that we will soon lose the memories of World War II through the eyes of the people who experienced it. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, only 240,000 of the 16 million people who served in the war were alive last year. About 234 of them die daily.
That national number is expected to drop to 50,000 veterans by 2025, and next to zero within a decade
As we look to mark another Memorial Day, we want this national holiday to be as meaningful as possible for these brave enlisted men and women, as well as to serve as an educational tool for our youngest residents who still have the gift of World War II veterans living perhaps on their streets or within their neighborhoods.
We could not have a better grand marshal. Vietnam veteran Ralph Checchio, longtime chair of the Memorial Day Parade Committee, has agreed to serve in that role, as we honor his years of service to veterans, as well as the community at-large.
As a veteran, I am proud to play a role in organizing this memorable weekend. We all lost the opportunity in 2020 and 2021 to have a full-fledged parade. Despite that fact, we were still able to hold scaled-down ceremonies. But something felt lost.
So, it is more than fitting that this year’s concert is titled “Together Again,” as we are able to offer this popular musical event for nine years and counting. The May 27 event (with a May 29 rain date) will take place on Alan Augustine Village Green, adjacent to the municipal building (430 Park Ave.) in downtown Scotch Plains, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
The event will feature a Support-the-Troops style production with Scotch Plains native Mike Marino serving as Master of Ceremonies. The music will be provided by a terrific oldies group, The Cameos.
I’m particularly looking forward to the return of the downtown parade, with a very appropriate title: “We Don't Know Them All, But We Owe Them All.”
Memorial Day, on May 30, begins with a memorial service and presentation of wreaths at 9 a.m. at the Fanwood Memorial Library (5 Forest Road). A memorial tribute and laying of wreaths will take place at 10 a.m. at the gazebo on Park Avenue and Front Street in downtown Scotch Plains.
Then, starting at 10:45 a.m., at the gazebo in downtown Scotch Plains, the 2022 Memorial Day Parade will proceed along Park Avenue, to Martine Avenue, into downtown Fanwood. The parade will end at La Grande Park in Fanwood.
While the annual parade is funded by Scotch Plains and Fanwood, the concert relies on the generosity of donors. There are so many individuals, local merchants, area businesses and community groups who are stepping up to ensure we have a memorable show to kick off Memorial Day weekend.
But we do need more help. Those interested in making a donation to the concert or to participate in the parade, please contact Bob LaCosta at the Township of Scotch Plains at (908) 939-8448 or
I look forward to seeing everyone during the Memorial Day program – just a few short weeks away.
