Orland Park officials announce veterans events, hometown-hero banners and volunteer opportunities

Orland Park village officials used their annual Memorial Day ceremony to announce a roster of veterans events, encourage volunteerism and explain how residents can request hometown-hero banners.

Dan Marcan, the village veterans program coordinator, told attendees the Veterans Liberty Run will be held July 3, a military tribute will take place at the Taste of Ireland in August, Mayor Dodge's Veterans Golf Classic has been moved to Sept. 22 at Silver Lake Country Club, and the village's Veterans Day ceremony is scheduled for Nov. 11 at the Civic Center. Marcan also encouraged veterans to consider joining the American Legion, the VFW, Veterans Voices, or the Veterans Advisory Board and pointed attendees to flyers for Honor Flight participation.

Mayor Jim Dodge announced that organizers have posted 54 hometown-hero banners along Ravenia through 159th Street and said families whose loved ones' names were newly engraved on Arapache can pick up a certificate of engraving at the village hall after Veterans Day when notified by email. Residents interested in requesting a banner were directed to the village veterans webpage at www.orlandpark.org/veterans for the application form.

Event organizers thanked veterans organizations and the parks staff for help staging the ceremony and invited attendees to refreshments at the Civic Center following the program. No municipal policy actions or budget appropriations were announced during the ceremony.