MOH prep continues in runup to April event

As Medal of Honor Weekend gets closer, more decisions are being finalized about the event.

So far, 11 recipients have said that they will be coming, as well as the families of some others who are unable to attend.

New hats will be available for purchase this year with the updated Medal of Honor Host City logo. The hats are being made by Trent and Jodi Krahl of The Wooden Poppy. Designs include a variety of patch sizes and hat materials and colors.

Opportunities to be involved are still available. The next planning meeting will be Monday, March 21 at the Gainesville Civic Center at 6 p.m.

Tickets for the banquet will begin sales to committee members based on level at the meeting (March 21).

“We were going to begin selling tickets tonight,” said Amanda Riley, the vice president of the committee board said Monday. “But we still have memberships coming in, so we pushed it to the 21st.”

Prices vary based on if you are getting a table with a recipient, as well as some other factors. They are also offering a new deal this year where if you do not need a full table of seats but you want to sit with a recipient, you can sponsor their family so more of their loved ones can come to the event. There will be a maximum of 250 tickets sold, which is smaller than usual for the event.

Parade float openings are still available. The parade will be Saturday, April 23, and they are accepting 80 entries with the possibility of standbys. Sign-up closes April 11, and parade entry numbers will be issued the week prior to the parade.

The parade entry form is on the Medal of Honor Host City website, or any questions can be directed to parade.MOH@gmail.com. Anyone wanting to participate in the parade is encouraged to submit an application as soon as possible to avoid a scramble at the end.

The Medal of Honor recipients will arrive Wednesday, April 20. The Patriot Dinner and groundbreaking for the new Medal of Honor museum will be April 21. The Banquet will be the evening of April 22. Saturday, April 24 will conclude the festivities with the parade and book signing.