expressing gratitude
to our military, their families,
and veterans.
4 Our Freedom 5k
Please join us in supporting or running in the 8th Annual 4 Our Freedom 5k on Saturday, June 2, 2018 at the UVA Research Park in Charlottesville. The 4 Our Freedom 5K provides critical financial support to local organizations that directly serve our military, their families, and our veterans that live in the central Virginia region. Below is a list of this year’s race beneficiaries, along with a link to learn more about the organizations.
2018 Race Beneficiaries
Blue Star Families of Central Virginia | bsfcv.avenue.org
Living Free | livingfree2gether.org
Wintergreen Adaptive Sports | wintergreenadaptivesports.org
Wildrock | wildrock.org
ParadeRest Virginia | paraderestva.org
Over the past seven years, more than 5,000 runners have participated in this event and we have raised over $650,000 for our military, veterans, and their families. Your support as a race participant will help greatly as we raise funds to support these important programs.
In 2018 the race will once again benefit local non-profits that support members of the military, veterans, and/or their families in our local community. ParadeRest is currently accepting applications from organizations that meet the eligibility requirements, and desire this funding. Applications are due by November 1, 2017. Please see the attached document for more information, or contact Tom Freshwater at tfreshwater@paraderestva.org.
Our Community Salutes
Please join us for the third annual “Our Community Salutes” Recognition Ceremony in order to recognize, honor, and support Central Virginia high school seniors who will enlist into the U.S. Armed Services immediately following graduation. This year, the event will be held on May 5th at 10:00 AM at the Lane Auditorium in the Albemarle County Office Building.
A Nickel for your Story is an effort to record the stories of our nation's veterans, starting with those from World War II, to preserve these invaluable and increasingly rare accounts for future generations. This year, we have started a campaign to help raise funds to continue our mission in collecting the stories of veterans from the Vietnam War era. By allowing these soldiers to tell their stories, we can give them the welcome home many never received. For more information on this special project and to donate, please click on the link below.
To Our Sponsors
We would like to thank all of our wonderful sponsors who generously support our ticketing program. Through ticket donations from the UVA Athletic Office, The Paramount Theater, Sprint Pavilion, John Paul Jones Arena, and others, ParadeRest is able to fulfill its mission of serving the Charlottesville community and its military personnel. Thank you. We could not do it without your help.
About Us
Composed of veterans, non-veterans, and representatives of the University of Virginia and Charlottesville area community, the ParadeRest Board has donated its time since 2009 towards providing ways to engage military personnel and their families with the local community. Expressions of gratitude for our veterans have taken the form of donated tickets to entertainment and sporting events.
ParadeRest was launched with the assistance of the National Headquarters of the American Red Cross, the Blue Star Families of Central Virginia and the Research Strategies Network with the purpose of encouraging such expressions of our community’s gratitude, and to provide returning and soon-to-be-deployed service members, and their families during their deployments, with convenient online information and access to these invitations and opportunities. Because of its role in community resilience as well as oral history, and its relevance to Critical Incident Analysis, UVA’s Critical Incident Analysis Group (CIAG) also supports ParadeRest in its educational mission.
Finding The Fallen
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Finding the Fallen: A Photographic Memorial Tribute to Local and University of Virginia Military Personnel Who Died While Serving in Times of War”
Nickel For Your Story
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Documenting the stories of United States military veterans, to preserve these invaluable and increasingly rare accounts for future generations.
"We must thank those who have served and the select group who have given all."
Scott S. | Paraderest Memorial Event At The Paramount Theater
Our Team
Composed of veterans, non-veterans, and representatives of the University of Virginia and Charlottesville area community, the ParadeRest Board has donated its time since 2009 towards providing ways to engage military personnel and their families with the local community. The team expresses gratitude and recognition through donated tickets to UVA and community venues, collecting histories from living veterans while honoring the fallen, and arranging and sponsoring events both cultural and athletic. UVA students staff ParadeRest year-round providing constant support for ParadeRest members. ParadeRest salutes its volunteers, whose work is essential to our success. For example, Jeff Boecker has donated thousands of hours in providing essential outreach and collection of military narratives from soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coast guard members who have served during wartime.
Staff
- Kristin Fioretti kristin@paraderestva.org
- Maihan Far Alam maihan@paraderestva.org
- Stephen Thomson stephen@paraderestva.org
Staff may be reached collectively by emailing tickets@paraderestva.org
To schedule a Nickel For Your Story interview, please email history@paraderestva.org
ParadeRest Board
- Doug Buntz
- Todd Goodale
- Ernest Harper
- Michael Kaminski
- Gregory Saathoff (Co-founder)
- Elsie Thompson (Co-founder)
- Rich DiMeglio
- Brad Whiteman
ParadeRest Coordinator
Mission
ParadeRest serves the military population of Central Virginia including active duty and retired military personnel and their families. Our mission is to demonstrate the community’s tremendous gratitude for their service and sacrifice by recognizing and supporting the area’s ‘hidden military’ personnel and their loved ones who are not stationed near large bases. Our objective is to develop and implement integrated outreach and support programs prior to their deployment, while they are away, and when they return home.
ParadeRest seeks to partner with other military support organizations, other community organizations, academic institutions, and local businesses to enhance the community’s gratitude for those presently serving, their families and veterans.
"We couldn't have had a better experience with ParadeRest. My family had a wonderful time at the game, and we are very appreciative of the organization and what it does for servicemembers, veterans, and their families."
- ParadeRest Member
Goals
The ParadeRest Virginia program gives the Central Virginia community a special way to show its gratitude for the commitment and sacrifice of military personnel and their families.
Like many communities around the country, Central Virginia is home to National Guard, Reservists and their families. Without a nearby veterans hospital or military base, the sacrifices of those serving in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are often unrecognized. They are part of the “hidden military” who quietly serve our country. Many organizations and civic groups in our region have wished to express their gratitude by inviting service members to be guests at their performances, special events and programs, but how to make contact with these soldiers and their families has been a recurring question.
The ParadeRest Virginia program gives the Central Virginia community a special way to show its gratitude for the commitment and sacrifice of military personnel and their families.
Ready to help?
Get Involved!
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Donate Tickets, Money, or Time
ParadeRest In The News!
Finding The Fallen
Nickel For Your Story
Check Out What The Media Is Saying
Memorial Day Tribute
Stars and Stripes