Sacramento Freedom Walk to Cap Patriotic Weekend

American Forces Press Service ^ | Sgt. Sara Wood, USA

[SandRat]

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22, 2006 -- A weekend of events in Sacramento, Calif., saluting America’s military veterans and current servicemembers will culminate in a candlelit walk on the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Sacramento’s Freedom Walk, planned in conjunction with similar events around the country to remember those who lost their lives on Sept. 11 and to honor America's past and present military veterans, will begin at 9:30 p.m., after a two-and-a-half hour concert and military tribute in the William Land Park and Amphitheater.

“We expect to have a rousing program that’ll culminate a couple of days of wonderful events around the Sacramento Valley,” said Bill Jenest, a spokesman for the Sacramento chapter of Operation Homefront, the nonprofit group sponsoring the walk.

The weekend leading up to the walk is dubbed “Patriots Memorial Weekend” and is sponsored by Operation Homefront and other affiliated regional groups. The concert on Sept. 11 will include performances from two local bands -- one made up entirely of veterans -- and a classical guitarist, Jenest said. Operation Homefront is also in final talks with a nationally recognized Christian singer who may appear at the concert, he said.

“The entertainment’s ‘down-home,’ but we’re just all folks here anyway,” he said. “The content’s going to be in the people who come up to the microphone and say what they have to say.”

The military tribute will be presented by a retired Marine captain and a group commander from nearby Travis Air Force Base; both are board members of the Operation Homefront Sacramento chapter, Jenest said.

The pre-registration Web site for the walk was just launched, Jenest said, and the final number of participants will largely depend on publicity. The venue can hold up to 7,000 people, he said.

Participants in Sacramento will walk around a lake in the park, Jenest said. If more people show up than expected, the route may be changed to also go around a second, larger lake next to the first one, he added.

Operation Homefront has extended an invitation to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to speak at the concert and has received lots of support from the Sacramento City Council in planning the walk, Jenest said. Sacramento has seen much debate about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, so walk organizers hope this can be a healing event for the community, he said.

“I think, at the end of the day, we all recognize that this is a tragedy that we can’t forget and that the men and women serving our country are the bastion of what separates us from total anarchy and chaos in the world,” he said.

Similar Freedom Walks are scheduled around the country to remember those who lost their lives on Sept. 11 and to honor America’s military veterans, past and present. Events around the country parallel the Washington, D.C., Freedom Walk scheduled Sept. 10 and sponsored by the Defense Department’s America Supports You program. America Supports You spotlights ways the American people and the nation’s corporate sector support U.S. servicemembers.

The Pentagon sponsored the first America Supports You Freedom Walk, in the Washington, D.C., area, in 2005.

Information for people interested in organizing Freedom Walk observances in their communities is available at the America Supports You Freedom Walk Web site.

Related Sites:
Freedom Walk
America Supports You
Operation Homefront Sacramento Chapter

[SandRat]

I Sense a Mood Change that the MSM hasn't figured out yet.

[AVNevis]

There also will be an event and candlelight vigil sponsored by Move America Forward at the State Capitol from 7:30 to 10PM. Details to follow in the coming days.

[Impeach98]

Thanks for posting that :)

What's interesting is that the Freedom Walk is candlelit - that's exactly what the Move America Forward event at the State Capitol will be.

I'm very excited about the lineup of people being put together for the night and think it will be an excellenet event!

[Diver Dave]

Spot on Sacramento! If we have no local events, hope to drive up there to join some fellow patriots.

[hsalaw]

Sacramento has seen much debate about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, so walk organizers hope this can be a healing event for the community, he said.

Because our lamebrain City Council passed a useless and offensive resolution condemning the war in Iraq at the behest of a bunch of out-of-town agitators. Fools.

[SactoJournalist]

While I'll be covering the Land Park event, there no such thing as competing interests in saluting our troops or remembering the events of 11 September 2001. Operation Homefront spoke with Move America Forward about their permit for the state capitol even before that event was announced. The Land Park venue was chosen only because it would facilitate the 911 Memorial Concert that takes place before Freedom Walk.

One need only visit http://www.patriotwatch.com to recognize the effort going into this effort. A quick trip up or down I-5 allows one to attend both events.

And no... Arnold will not be at either event. Rumor has it, there is a special guest of honor, the eight year old son of a fallen hero who will lead the walk. Had the Governor attended, he's have been welcome to "follow" this special little boy's lead.

[SactoJournalist]

I'm confused. Went to the link you posted and found nothing about an event at the capitol. The "will be" should get updated to gonna be :-) I hope you're not suggesting the Pentagon's America Supports You partners ripped off your idea somehow. Enjoy both events or just be glad Sacramento lead the pack of the other ten cities hosting Freedom Walks (candle lit, glow sticks or otherwise)

[Impeach98]

Actually, MAF had sent out several emails on the rally to the email list and media advisories as well, before this thread was posted.

I just thought it was counterproductive for the Sacto Homefront Folks to host a second event. They should have done their walk and joined us as the Capitol.

Phelps Hobart spoke to us when he inquired about a permit at the Capitol and found out we already had one. Our Communications Director, John Ubaldi, had pulled that several months ago. And yep, we pulled it for a night rally to do a candlelight vigil.

Have fun at the Freedom Walks event and say hi to Dave Jenest and Phelps Hobart!