Pass-A-Grille Hosts Veteran's Parade, Street Fair, Benefit

Salute to the Military Parade

The two-day celebration begins Friday, April 12 at 6 p.m. Bay News 9‘s On the Town reporter Virginia Johnson will emcee the Salute to the Military Parade organized by the Veterans of South Pinellas County.

The parade will travel through the streets of Pass-a-Grille and will feature marching bands, the Tampa Bay Rays cheerleaders and more than 50 patriotic and military vehicles. All four branches of the U.S. military including the Florida National Guard plus the U.S. Coast Guard will be participating.

The parade will be led by St. Pete Beach Mayor Steve McFarlin as the grand marshall. Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualiteri will also help lead the parade.

After the parade, the Army will host a ceremony and administer the oath of enlistment to recruits from the local area marking the start of their service to the nation.

Street Fair

The street fair with military vehicles, weapons displays and family fun activities will be from 5 - 10 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. - noon Saturday. 

Building Homes for Heroes Benefit

There will be a charity pancake breakfast Saturday to help raise money for Building Homes for Heroes to pay for renovations on a house in St. Petersburg for Sgt. Charles Claybaker and his wife Kandice and for other local charitable activities by the group. 

The benefit will be hosted by The Hurricane Seafood Restaurant with chefs and support staff from the Hard Rock Café handling the cooking chores. 

Breakfast is served throughout fair hours, and tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children.  Military and first responders in uniform eat free. 

According to Don Schmidt, event chairman, more than 1,800 people attended last year and he is hopeful for even a larger turnout this year.

Staff Sergeant Claybaker

Staff Sergeant Claybaker, a native of St. Petersburg, was severely wounded in April 2010, in Afghanistan when the Air Force CV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor he was in crashed during a night mission. The aircraft hit the ground at about 90 mph; upon impact it flipped and caught fire. Four people were killed and 16 wounded.  Then Sgt. Claybaker had a dislocated right hip, broken acetabulum and right tibia plateau, shattered tibia/fibia post fracture at the right ankle, several damaged discs throughout his back, a traumatic brain injury, and suffers with post traumatic stress disorder

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