Sayville hosts annual Memorial Day parade

Despite the rain, members of the Sayville community gathered together to honor those who lost their lives fighting for our country.

With pride, patriotically dressed attendees lined Main Street in Sayville for the annual Memorial Day parade. The parade commenced at 9 a.m. and made its way down Main Street, starting at St. Lawrence the Martyr Roman Catholic Church, and concluding near the Sayville Fire House.

Participating in the parade were The Sayville Chamber of Commerce, local Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops, The Sayville Library, Sayville Middle School and High School marching bands, United Church Preschool, The Sayville Historical Society, Sayville Village Improvement Society, Sayville Congregational United Church of Christ, and more.

At the parade’s conclusion, everyone came together for a special wreath-laying ceremony sponsored by the American Legion Post 651.

The ceremony commenced with a prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the national anthem played by the Sayville High School band. The guest speakers reminded us of the profound significance of Memorial Day and the immense sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform, including their own lives.

VFW Post 433 Cmdr. William Borthwick said, “We take this day to give thanks to them and quietly contemplate their ultimate sacrifice. We realize how markedly inadequate our attempt to pay tribute to them really is. There are no words that can properly reflect the magnitude that their sacrifices mean to our nation.”

Several government officials were in attendance, including Sen. Alexis Weik. She briefly spoke about the origins of Memorial Day and how New York State was the first to declare it a legal holiday in 1966.

“We proudly remember our heroes as we do today,” she added.

Assemblyman Jarett Gandolfo was next to speak. He praised the community for coming out despite the weather and thanked the organizations involved in hosting this annual event.

Gandolfo was followed by Legis. Anthony Piccirillo, who shared some of Americans’ freedoms because of those who serve our country and sacrifice their lives.

Islip councilman John Lorenzo thanked those who have served and continue to serve our country. He added that while enjoying time with family and friends, we should take a moment to acknowledge those who sacrificed their lives so we had the freedom to do so.

After the wreaths were presented, taps were performed.