Each Fall, the Fulton Veteran’s Council chooses a "Veteran of the Year" from among the membership of several Fulton veteran’s organizations. This year, Charles Callen was named "Veteran of the Year". Mr. Callen will be the Grand Marshall for the Memorial Day Salute Parade on May 26th. The parade is sponsored by the Fulton Lions, Kiwanis, Rotary and Sunrise Rotary service clubs, in cooperation with the Fulton Veteran’s Council.  Pictured are: Charles Callen, left, and Mayor Ron Woodward.

Charles Callen, left, was named Futon's 2011 Veteran of the Year.  Callen is shown receving the award from the 2010 Veteran of the Year, John McGraw.  Each fall, the Fulton Veterans Council chooses a Veteran of the Year from among the membership of several Fulton veteran's organizations.  Callen will serve as the grand marshall for this  year's Fulton Memorial Day Salute.

Tom Owens, from B 104,  long-time on air Clear Channel radio personality, will be the host and commentator for the parade.

"I am so honored to be a part of the 31st Annual Fulton Memorial Day Salute Parade. Our B 104 family has the utmost respect for and pride in the men and women who serve our country and to be a part of this amazing celebration honoring them is so exciting for me."
Tom Owens

The Memorial Day Salute is a two-day event that was created and is now carried on by representatives of the four Fulton service clubs: Rotary, Sunrise Rotary, Kiwanis and Lions.  The service clubs are assisted by the Fulton Veterans Council. Pictured are the presidents of the service clubs and the Veteran of the Year. 
From left are: Sandy Farrands, Kiwanis; Judy Young, Rotary;  Charles Callen, Veteran of the Year, Peggy Donnelly, Sunrise Rotary and Jim Sokolowski, Lions.   This year the 31st Annual Memorial Day Salute will be held May 25th and 26th.

Plans are underway for the 31st Annual Memorial Day Salute event to be held Friday May 25th and Saturday, May 26th at the Fulton Community Center.  The theme for the celebration will be "AMERICA......WORTH FIGHTING FOR”.   Charles Callen, Veteran of the Year, will serve as Grand Marshall of the Saturday parade.

Friday night's entertainment will be Domicolo & Barlow , followed by the fireworks.  The entertainment for Saturday night will be announced soon. 

The Memorial Day Salute Committee is made up of representatives from the Lions, Kiwanis, Rotary and Sunrise Rotary Service Clubs, along with the Veterans Council of Fulton.  Chairman of this year's planning committee is Dick Kemmis.

Pictured making plans standing from left: Diane Sokolowski, Sandy Farrands, Carol Vescio, Zach Menter, Peggy Donnelly, Judy Young, Cathy Trowbridge, Jim Sokolowski and Larry Macner.  Pictured in front are: Holly Carpenter, Jim Myers, Dick Kemmis and Tom Mirabito.   Absent from photo were John Kruk,  Ro Kemmis, Carl Nyland and Frank Kehoe.

Pictured are Frank Kehoe, Fulton Veterans Council, left, Larry Macner, VFW Representative and Donna Kestner, Director of Veterans Services.

The Fulton Memorial Day Salute Committee is proud to announce again this year that it will participate with the VFW's Operation Uplink program.  Operation Uplink was launched in 1996 to connect active-duty troops and hospitalized veterans with their loved ones. The program uses contributions from supporters to purchase phone time for the men and women who are serving, or have served, as well as hospitalized veterans.

Initially, VFW Operation Uplink exclusively distributed phone cards. In 2006, in response to growing demand, VFW began hosting “Free Call Days.”   Now, every month of the year, troops can call home, at no charge, from Internet cafes throughout Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait. Millions of minutes already have been provided.

Traditional phone cards are still being provided at military hospitals and VA facilities, as well as to troops in regions not served by the “Free Call Days.”

Since the program began, the Veterans of Foreign Wars has provided deployed service members and hospitalized veterans with millions of minutes of free phone time. The unique program is part of VFW National Military Services, which includes other initiatives that boost morale, aid struggling military families and encourage troop support.

The Fulton Memorial Day Salute Committee will be collecting money for this organization as part of its advertising booklet, as well as on site at the Salute.  For more information on Operation Uplink, go to www.vfw.org.    The Fulton Memorial Day Salute will be held on Friday May 25 and Saturday May 26  at the Fulton Community Center.

Nik and the Nice Guys is a high energy, rock and roll band, featuring 11 multi-talented musicians/ performers, including female singer/dancers and a hom section called the Niktones. Besides playing great mainstream rock and roll, the group conveys a touch of Saturday Night Live craziness, while at the same time encouraging audience participation and dancing. The band's popularity stems from its role as houseband on two early 90's TV series': ESPN's "The Lighter Side of Sports" and the NBC/ syndicated TV series "The Bob Uecker Sports Show." Nice Guy performing credits include performances at the past ten Super Bowls, numerous shows at past Winter and Summer Olympics, Canada's Grey Cup Festival, and special events hosted by Sports lllustrated, ESPN, Lee Jeans, Reebok, Apple Computer, Chicago Blackhawks, Toronto Blue Jays, and Time Magazine etc. Nik and the Nice Guys was formed by a group of hockey players on scholarship at St. Lawrence University (Canton, NY) that included National Hockey League coach Mike Keenan and present day Nik manager Gary Webb. The group disbanded upon graduation, but then re-formed in the 1980's in Rochester, New York, when Keenan accepted a coaching job with the Rochester Americans. Originally, the recreated Nik was a means for day-time business professionals to become night-time party animals raising funds for charity. However, the continued success of the band has led to a full-time musical and professional touring and recording commitment

Dave Domicolo and Bill Barlow, long time musicians and a favorite area duo, will be Friday night's entertainment, May 25th,  on the main stage from 7 PM to 10 PM.

31st ANNUAL
MEMORIAL DAY SALUTE