LAS VEGAS (AP) - The 25th annual Veterans Day parade scheduled in Las Vegas has been canceled for the first time in its history to limit the spread of COVID-19.
“I feel terrible in the aspect that we had to cancel it, but we felt a requirement to protect the participants and the spectators,” organizer and former Air Force Sgt. Jerry Adams told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
The mandatory requirements needed to comply with COVID-19 regulations also necessitated the cancellation, Adams said.
Last year, about 5,000 people participated in the two-hour parade, including Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman and Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak. Thousands attended.
Goodman said Tuesday that she was sorry to hear about the cancellation but said it “does not diminish how thankful we are for our veterans.”
“This Veterans Day, as Nevadans reflect on the sacrifices and dedication of the brave men and women who selflessly served our country, the governor asks that we all recommit to wearing face coverings and following social distancing guidelines in an effort to protect our Veterans as they’ve protected us,” Sisolak spokeswoman Meghin Delaney said.
The Veterans Action Group is the host of the parade and has carried on the tradition after the previous group, Veterans of Foreign Wars, shut down.
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