Red Friday Rally

Petawawa's Red Friday Rally

March of Military Appreciation
May 11th 2007
Time: 9:30am – 11:00am
Location: Petawawa Legion Parking lot (located at 3583 Petawawa Blvd)

The Rally itself will be short in time. (approx. 30 minutes total)

Sequence of events:
9:00am -9:25am Community assembles at Petawawa Legion

9:30am
-Rally begins
-National Anthem
-Prayers for our Troops
-Speeches

1010am: The roads will be closed and participants will be asked to form rows of the parade. (Closure of Petawawa Blvd & Victoria Street)
Two Parade marshals will be there to help people form up and stay organized.

~Community will assemble on Petawawa Blvd under the direction of the parade Marshals

1015am: Parade departs from Petawawa Legion -proceeding south on Petawawa turning east on Victoria St

1040am parade arrives at Petawawa Town Hall

The Parade route will be as follows:
South on Petawawa Blvd, east on Victoria Street and ending behind the Petawawa Town Office.

Roads reopen

1040am -1100am Parade assembles on hill at Petawawa town hall for Red Friday Rally picture

* Two Parade marshals will be there to help assemble the community parade
The OPP will be on hand to participate and to ensure safety during the parade

This is an article posted by the Daily Observer in Upper Ottawa District with further information:

Petawawa to Host Rally for Red Friday on May 11

By: STEPHEN UHLER The Daily Observer

The community of Petawawa is being encouraged to take part in a massive Red Friday rally, scheduled for Friday, May 11, 2007. The event is being held as another way for people to show their support for Canada's soldiers and their families while this nation is engaged in Afghanistan. Lisa Miller, who along with Karen Boire helped launch the Red Friday campaign, where the public wears red as a show of support, said following a successful rally held on Parliament Hill last year, she has been approached by friends and members of the public wondering why one wasn't being held here.

Now, following a lot of hard work, there is going to be one. "It was time for it to come here," she said. "A lot of people don't realize we still have troops over in Afghanistan, and it is important to keep remembering their service. "This rally is about that, acknowledging the ones who came home and the ones who are there now serving," Ms. Miller said. "Every now and again, we have to do something to remind people of the significance of Red Friday, and to always remember the soldiers and their families." Rally participants will start gathering at the Petawawa Royal Canadian Legion's parking lot at 9 a.m. At 9:30 a.m. sharp, the rally will officially begin with the playing of the national anthem and a prayer for the troops. Guest speakers Petawawa mayor Bob Sweet, MP Cheryl Gallant, MPP John Yakabuski and Red Friday rally organizers Lisa Miller and Karen Boire will then address the crowd. At 10:10 a.m., Petawawa Boulevard and Victoria Street will be closed off to traffic, and five minutes later all those who assembled will march from the Legion to Petawawa town hall. Once there, the crowd will assemble on the hill behind town hall for a Red Friday rally photograph
Due to road closures, our timings must be strict.