Parade, cleanup on tap

By Mindy Honey
Society Editor

Veterans’ activities, a park cleanup, holiday parade and gospel festival are on tap for this weekend.

Veterans activities will get under way Thursday. A free ceremony for the Traveling Veterans Memorial Wall will be held at 10 a.m. at the Welk Theatre on Missouri 165 in Branson.

At 2 p.m. Thursday, the opening ceremonies for veterans homecoming week will be held at the Mansion Theatre at 187 Expressway Lane. No reservations are required; seating is first-come, first-served.

The Showboat Branson Belle will also be holding a special veterans show Thursday. Boarding for the dinner cruise will begin at 7:15 p.m. For more information, call 800-417-7770.

A memorial service at Welk Theatre, on 165, will be held at 8 a.m. Friday. Branson High School Band will perform and the 5th Special Forces Group A Team will lay a wreath.

Also on Friday, area residents will have a chance to clean up one of Branson’s most popular parks after heavy rains last week caused flooding damage and prompted its closing.

“All persons, organizations and businesses interested in cleaning up Stockstill Park and putting it back into service are encouraged to be there Friday morning,” said Cindy Shook, director of Branson Parks and Recreation.

“Public works and the parks department will provide all the tools necessary to do the job. We just need the manpower.”

A lunch break will be provided, but volunteers will have to provide their own for lunch.

“Even if volunteers can’t stay all day, we can still use their help for the time they spend at the park,” Shook said.

The cleanup will begin at 8:30 a.m. Friday. Volunteers can help by raking and leveling new mulch back into play areas.

On Friday afternoon, a WWII veterans mini-reunion will be held from 2-5 p.m. at Keeter Center at College of the Ozarks. The program will include remarks by college president Jerry Davis, founder of The Greatest Generation Foundation Timothy Davis, and a screening of a documentary on a trip to Normandy. The program will be followed by a reception for veterans and their guests. To RSVP, call 417-337-8387.

On Saturday, the Lake Taneycomo Elks Lodge on U.S. 160 in Forsyth will host a free breakfast for veterans from 7-10 a.m. The cost to the general public is $5 for adults and children $2.

A WWII Re-enactment camp will open at 8 a.m. Saturday with the 84th Infantry Division “Rail Splitters” at College of the Ozarks.

A mini-reunion for Iraq, Afghanistan and Persian Gulf War veterans will be held from 9 a.m.-noon at the Tri-Lakes Center on Missouri 248 in Branson. The event is hosted by Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 913. A free breakfast will be served. To attend, RSVP to 417-337-8387.

Gen. Tommy Franks Leadership Institute and Museum Road Show will run from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Belk parking lot at Branson Landing. Exhibits include cultural, social and geographical items and information from 24 Middle East countries.

Also at 9 a.m., Shepherd of the Hills Garden Club will dedicate a Blue Star Memorial at the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery.

From 10:30 a.m.-noon Saturday, the Holiday Promenade of Stars Parade will be held on Missouri 76 from White Water to the Grand Village. The parade will be hosted by Jimmy Osmond, Debby Boone and Grand Marshall Andy Williams. Stars will perform at the staging area in front of Titanic Museum Attraction.

To accommodate for the parade, 76 Country Boulevard will be closed between Keeter Street and Wildwood Drive between 10 a.m. and noon Saturday. Branson Assistant Chief Steve Dalton said that the police department will be letting traffic continue to run north and south at the intersection of 76 and Missouri 165. The police department will have officers along the parade route to help redirect traffic and volunteers will be located in parking lots along the closed section of the strip to assist as well.

Anyone needing to exit a business along 76 during the time the street is closed may call 417-335-0399 or 417-527-7196 Saturday only for assistance.

On Sunday, Ozarks Shooters Sports Complex on U.S. 65, 11 miles north of Branson, will hold a veterans’ shoot for outdoor enthusiasts from 9 a.m.-noon. To make reservations, call 417-443-3093. Lunch will be available.

Starting at 10 a.m. Sunday at Starlite Theatre, the Missouri Military Order of the Purple Heart will hold a Missouri Fallen Heroes Memorial Ceremony to honor fallen heroes from the state of Missouri who have lost their lives in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. To RSVP, call Carl Dietrich at 417-882-9282.

A free lunch for veterans and current serving military will be held from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday at the Cobblestone Inn, Suites and Conference Center. A $4 donation for others is requested.

A Gold Star, Blue Star Mothers and Gold Star Wives Luncheon will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday and includes a free complementary lunch at Golden Corral on Shepherd of the Hills Expressway. For more information and to RSVP, call 417-337-8387.

A benefit show from 2-4 p.m. Sunday with #1 Hits of the 60’s at the Caravelle Theatre will benefit the Branson Veterans Task Force. Tickets are $20. Call 866-339-1960.

A Military Gala and Banquet will be held at Chateau on the Lake Resort and Spa at 5 p.m. featuring a ceremonial dinner and entertainment. For information, call 417-336-4232.

A candlelight military memorial service will be held at 6 p.m. at Skyline Baptist Church on Missouri 165 in Branson.

At 2 p.m., Christian Associates will host Gospel-fest. At least 14 area choirs and small singing groups will gather at Keeter Center at College of the Ozarks on Sunday for gospel singing and praise in support of the mission of Christian Associates of Table Rock Lake. The public is invited to attend. Participants will be asked to give at least a $5 donation and seating will be first come, first seated. All proceeds will go to support family and community services and the domestic violence shelter at Christian Associates. Tax credits will be available to those who donate at least $100.