Veterans For Peace
For Immediate Release
Attached:
Press Release, Parade Flyer, Open Letter to Residents of Boston
CARLOS ARREDONDO – GRAND MARSHAL OF
SAINT PATRICK’S PEACE PARADE
Boston, Mass. –
March 3, 2014 – Carlos Arredondo and his wife Melida will be the Grand
Marshals for the Saint Patrick Peace Parade, the alternative parade, in South
Boston on Sunday, March 16. Carlos is well known as one of the heroes of the
Boston Marathon bombing. He was captured in a now famous AP photo wearing his
white cowboy hat as he rushed bombing victim Jeff Bauman to a waiting
ambulance. Carlos and Melida have been
long time members of Veterans For Peace, having
joined the organization shortly
after Carlos’ son Alex was killed in Najaf Iraq by a sniper in 2004. Their only
other son Brian, who never recovered from the loss of his beloved big brother, committed
suicide in 2011 at age 24. Carlos and Melida have committed themselves to
helping veterans families and working for peace as members of the Boston
chapter of Veterans For Peace.
 |
| "Camp Alex", created by the Arredondos to honor their fallen son |
Carlos is honored to
be the Grand Marshal of the Saint Patrick’s Peace Parade with his wife Melida.
“Boston Strong means all of us uniting together whether at a tragedy or against
bigotry and exclusion, or the need for peace”, stated Carlos. “There is a lot
of controversy surrounding these parades,” Carlos said. “We should all come
together, combine the two parades into one big parade and allow everyone,
straight, gay, peace, old and young to all participate together celebrating
Saint Patrick.”
Melida Arrendondo,
Carlo’s wife, also a Grand Marshal of the parade added, “After this year where a bombing took place
in Boston, inclusion of the LGBT community and Veterans For Peace is an
important part of keeping Boston Strong. We are a diverse community,” added
Melida, “and we should be proud to march together as one. Our diversity is what
makes us different and is our strength as a city and a nation.”
Veterans For Peace
will once again march one mile behind the traditional parade. There are eight
separate divisions in the Peace Parade, each division is essentially their own
parade with very distinct messages. The eight division are: Veterans For Peace,
Peace, Religious, LGBT, Environmental Stewardship, Political, Labor, Social and
Economic Justice. Last year the parade had six bands, floats, vehicles, Bread
and Puppet Theatre and 2,500 participants.
“Some have called
the Saint Patrick’s Peace Parade a protest parade,” said Pat Scanlon,
Coordinator of Veterans For Peace and the lead organizer for the Peace Parade. “It
is not! It is an alternative parade
brought about because of the discriminatory and exclusionary practices of the
organizers of the first parade.” Some people refer to the second parade as the
gay parade. Scanlon emphasizes, “It is a Peace Parade, in fact the only Peace
Parade in the entire country. Our parade is welcoming and inclusive. The LGBT community
is free to celebrate who they are as people and as gay members of our
community. There is an LGBT Division where all are welcome to carry rainbow
flags, signs, and banners and wear T-shirts with such messages as “I’m Irish,
Gay and Proud”.
The parade
organizers invite individuals and groups to join their parade. “People and
groups are welcome to come and join one of the eight divisions,” added Scanlon.
The Saint Patrick’s Peace Parade will assemble at 1:00 pm on D Street, just off
West Broadway in South Boston. Look for the black and white Veterans For Peace
Flags. Erin Go Bragh.
Web: smedleyvfp.org
Twitter: @smedleyVFP Facebook:
facebook.com/smedleyvfp
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