Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1308280
12 UCW NOVEMBER 11-17, 2020 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Patriotic Day Celebration set for Nov. 14 by KEYURI PARAB e All American Patriot Association will host its first Patriotic and Veterans Day Celebration on Nov. 14 from noon until 11 p.m. at Bryan Honda on Raeford Road in Fayetteville "We will open with a flag raising ceremony, pledge of allegiance, national anthem, jump- ers jumping in," said Franco Webb, CEO and president of AAPA. e event is all about fun for veterans, their families and the community. "e main purpose of the event is to bring everybody together, to have a good time, it's about being Americans, about being patriotic, and celebrating our veterans," Webb said. e celebration will feature different speak- ers discussing patriotic themes, a class teach- ing children and adults how to raise and lower a flag, and properly fold the flag. Members of local Veterans of Foreign Wars posts will be teaching the proper disposal of a flag. e family friendly event will have children's activities, a bounce house and food trucks on site. ere will be live performances by bands such as Harley & Big Country, 80's Unleashed, Sabor A Rumba, Ronnie Hymes. e headliner will be Rivermist. "It's going to be an awesome night to come out, dance and have a good time," Webb said. Attendees will have the opportunity to win prizes throughout the day. Speakers will be randomly selecting people and asking them patriotic questions, and the winners will win a prize, he said. Raffle tickets will be available for purchase, and there will be gift baskets set up on tables. Some of the things being raffled include gift cards from Best Buy and a custom 'Big Dog' motorcycle. "Items that will be up for a silent auction will include an American flag flown over the U.S. Capitol with a certificate of authenticity, schol- arships for kids to attend a summer horse camp in Texas, and a metal fireplace," Webb said. We have had a lot of positive responses, with people and sponsors, Webb said. Some sponsors of the event include Bryan Honda, Piedmont Natural Gas, Kraken Skulls, Phoenix Global Support, Webb Security and more. Webb said that he began organizing the event as a way to celebrate patriotism in the commu- nity. "It's an event that is needed and it comes at a time when everyone's been holed up and it's a good reason to get everyone together," Webb said. For more details about the Patriots Day and Veterans Day Celebration, visit https:// fb.me/e/gWJHnb3yD e Patriotic Veterans Day Celebration will take place from noon until 11 p.m. at Bryan Honda on Raeford Road. e event is free and open to the public. KEYURI PARAB, Editorial Assistant COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomin- gweekly.com 910-484-6200. COVER STORY Spotlight on local sailors serving abroad a STAFF REPORT With Fort Bragg as a neighbor, it is common to see Army soldiers and sometimes Air Force air- men, many living right next door. Our community has a patriotic core with many of our young men and women enlisting to serve our nation in other military services. To recognize them, we proudly shine a spotlight on some of our hometown heroes currently serving abroad. Information System Technician 2nd Class Jose Rivera-Scott, a sailor from Hope Mills, is a network operations technician assigned to Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti. Located in an austere environment, Camp Lemonnier is a U.S. Navy base located in the Horn of Africa and is the only enduring U.S. military base on the continent of Africa. CLDJ is an operational installation that enables U.S., allied and partner nation forces to be where and when they are needed to ensure security in Europe, Southwest Asia and Africa. Rivera-Scott is a 2013 graduate from Gray's Creek High School. "Many family members have served before me in the Air Force and Army including my grandfathers and my mother," said Rivera-Scott. "My grandfathers were pilots, so that is what I originally wanted to be; however, I chose a different path, and I'm proud of being the first Navy sailor in my family." Halfway around the globe, two Fayetteville natives are assigned aboard the Ticonderoga-class guided- missile cruiser USS Shiloh (CG 67). Sonar Technician (Surface) 2nd Class Darrius Hames and Operations Specialist Seaman Julia Champagne are in the Philippine Sea participating in exercise Keen Sword 21. Keen Sword is an example of the strength of the U.S.-Japan Alliance, the foundation of peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region for more than 60 years. e relationships built and maintained during these events are critical to our shared capability to respond to contingencies at a moment's notice. Information System Technician 2nd Class Jose Rivera- Scott, from Hope Mills, is serving in Djibouti. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Colin Sens) Sonar Technician (Surface) 2nd Class Darrius Hames, from Fayetteville, is serving aboard the USS Shiloh in the Philippine Sea. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communica- tion Specialist Seaman Santiago Navarro) Operations Specialist Seaman Julia Champagne from Fayetteville, left, and Operations Specialist 2nd Class Edith Dantes from Sioux City, Iowa, measure the bearing and range of surface and subsurface contacts in the com- bat information center of the USS Shiloh in the Philippine Sea. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ryre Arciaga)