SFD Preps for Spaghetti Benefit and Annual Flag Day Parade

STAMFORD –  June will be a busy month for members of the Stamford Volunteer Fire Department as they plan for a benefit spaghetti dinner on June 8 and are looking forward to hosting the annual Stamford Flag Day Parade on June 14.

The June 8 benefit spaghetti dinner will be take-out at the cost of $12 per meal. The meal will include spaghetti with choice of regular or meat sauce, a salad and dessert. The proceeds will be used to replenish funds used to help a member's partner who is undergoing cancer surgery this month. 

Less than a week later, on Saturday, June 14, which is Flag Day, they will be lining Main Street with American flags as they prepare for the step off of the annual Stamford Flag Day Parade. Everyone is invited to participate in what is one of the largest parades in the region.

This year's grand marshal is Skip Heath. Heath is a retired business owner, along with his wife, Patricia,  and a person who has been involved in the community and knows a great deal about its history. 

The annual Flag Day Parade in Stamford is 52 this year and continues to be a huge draw both for participants and spectators. Members of the Stamford Fire Department, which sponsors the parade, want to get the word out in time for everyone to get it on the calendar.

There will be a number of high school bands, fire departments,  drum corps, fire apparatus, organizations, businesses, horseback riders, antique cars, mascots, ambassadors, princesses and more, who join in the parade. The fire department does not send out invitations. If you wish to participate in the parade, please arrive by 5:15 p.m. The parade will step off promptly at 6 p.m..

Community organizations and others are invited to participate. The fire department is asking that people stick to a patriotic theme for the parade which is held to honor the American flag. Floats are welcome and encouraged. 

With the parade falling on a Saturday this year, the SFD is hoping for a large turnout.

The parade is cancelled only by a thunderstorm and steps off from the east end of the village at Tower Mountain Ave. and marches along Main Street and Harper Street to the west end of the village, ending at West End Ave..The Stamford Fire Dept., will be selling food, along with local businesses and other organizations. 

Floats, horseback riders, scouts and other organizations marching, line up in the parking lot between Beaver and Liberty Streets and Color Guards line up on Liberty Street. Fire Departments line up along Beaver and Prospect Street at the direction of the Stamford Fire Department.

School bands are dropped off  at the rail trail on South Delaware Street and walk along the trail to the step off area. Someone will be there to guide them.

For safety reasons, the SFD asks that anyone with candy, not throw it along the parade route, but instead hand it to bystanders to keep children  and others from going into the path of parade participants. 

A flag retirement ceremony will be held at dusk at the Stamford Veterans Club on state Rt. 10 to properly retire worn and other flags which need to be taken out of service. Anyone with a flag to be retired may drop the flag inside the blue mailbox on the front porch of the Stamford Veteran’s Club at any time. The American Flag should never be discarded and veterans hold this special ceremony to see that old and worn flags are properly retired.

The next events for the SFD will be its annual Family Field Day and Fireworks on July 26 and the Ninth Annual Stamford Yard Sale Day on Aug. 9.