Hundreds of Luminaries to Light Up the Town
Sunday, September 24, 2017 • 7:00 p.m. • Van Neste Park, Ridgewood, NJ,
Stop by town Sunday evening to see a beautiful display of luminaries to honor mothers who have lost their sons and daughters during military service. The annual Gold Star Mother’s Day commemoration is sponsored by the Ridgewood Gold Star Mother’s Day Committee. The Presidential Proclamation in 2011 commemorating this day pronounces, “As members of a grateful Nation, we owe a debt we can never repay, but hold this sacred obligation forever in our hearts, minds, and actions. We honor their sacrifice, and stand with our service members, military families, and Gold Star families as they have stood for us.”
In the aftermath of World War I, Washington D.C. resident Grace Darling Seibold formed an organization called Gold Star Mothers to support the moms who had lost sons and daughters to the war. Grace’s son, First Lieutenant George Vaughn Seibold, was an aviator killed in combat over France in 1918. In 1928, the small D.C.-based group decided to nationalize its efforts. In 1936, a joint congressional resolution established the last Sunday in September as Gold Star Mother’s Day. The Gold Star Mothers grew from a support group of 60 women to today’s extensive nationwide network with tens of thousands of members and hundreds of local chapters.
In Ridgewood, NJ the Gold Star Mother’s Day Committee will sponsor our seventh annual event commemorating Gold Star Mother’s Day at Van Neste Park. There will be a ceremony at 7:00 p.m. until approx. 7:30 p.m. and hundreds of luminaries will be lit throughout the evening to honor Gold Star Mothers and their families. But in addition, our goal is to see thousands of other luminaries lit in safe, appropriate locations throughout Ridgewood and other towns on September 24th to honor the Gold Star Mothers and families!
Luminaries will be available for a donation before the ceremony at the following location:
Residence of Bob Paoli, Commander American Legion Post #53,
at 368 N. Pleasant Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ. 07450
Call 201-445-1738 to arrange time to pickup
