BATH

Recent news of the Bath Memorial Day parade cancellation prompted a local, anonymous donor to come forward and provide $5,000 in funding for the parade this year.

“I think it’s great. There were a couple of volunteers in the community who called me and said they had a big donation to get it going,” said Bill Giroux, Bath city manager. “The city will do everything we can to help.”

Giroux said Shane McKenna, the owner of Universe Gym and Fitness Center in Bath, called midday Tuesday, asking if the city would still be able to support a parade.

McKenna said he received a call from a local person who was interested in providing the American Legion Smith-Tobey Post 21 in Bath with the funds to continue the parade after learning about its cancellation.

The Memorial Day parade in Bath has been traditionally funded and organized by the post over many years. It was canceled this year because the organization was unable to fund the parade due to “severe financial difficulties,” according to a letter from the post that was read at a city council meeting earlier this month.

On April 29, the American Legion in Bath pleaded guilty to aggravated unlawful gambling Class B felony and was ordered to pay a fine of $15,000, according to Sgt. Michael Johnston of the Maine State Police.

Along with the fine, the organization was also suspended from operating games of chance, which includes card games and bingo, for 30 months.

McKenna said he contacted Chris Gillespie, the commander of the Post, who spoke with the officers and the general members of the legion, all of whom were pleased with the turn of events and were in favor of organizing the parade once more.

“This shows that the community wants us to put our parade on for our veterans,” said Gillespie. “We’re excited because we know what it means to have this parade.”

McKenna said he and Daniel Eosco, the owner of Maine Hosting Solutions, will be calling past parade participants today to share the good news and ask them to participate in this year’s parade, adding that “any late entries would be great.”

“It all just kind of flurried within two hours,” Eosco said on Tuesday. “But we’re going to try to rustle everyone up.”

Eosco, the Cub master of Pack 621 in Bath, who are sponsored by the American Legion, said his scouts received the news of the parade cancellation with disappointment.

“We enjoy the parade, and we show the community that our scouts have respect for fallen soldiers,” he said.

Pay their respects

Even without the parade, Eosco said he and the Cub Scouts were planning on meeting at the post on Monday to pay their respects to the veterans.

And regarding the organization of the parade, Eosco wasn’t worried about putting it together in such a short amount of time, especially with the support of the American Legion, McKenna and Eosco’s wife Mari, who is the chairwoman of the city council and the interim director at Main Street Bath.

Eosco was also confident that more volunteers would step forward and be willing to help out once they heard about the news.

The parade will assemble at the American Legion at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, and is scheduled begin at 10:30 a.m., where participants will march the usual route from Lincoln to Centre and down Front Street.

Parade registrations will be accepted up until Saturday afternoon, and interested parties are encouraged to contact McKenna at [email protected] or Eosco at [email protected] or 522-3582.

dkim@timesrecord.com

Parade plan & participation

THE PARADE will assemble at the American Legion at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, and is scheduled begin at 10:30 a.m., where participants will march the usual route from Lincoln to Centre and down Front Street.

PARADE REGISTRATIONS will be accepted up until Saturday afternoon, and interested parties are encouraged to contact McKenna at [email protected] or Eosco at [email protected] or 522-3582.