"I just wish they had told us a little sooner:" Why the state's biggest Veterans Day parade may not happen!
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- It is the largest Veterans Day parade in the state, but Milwaukee's parade may not go on as planned this November. Two major corporate donors have backed out of this year's event at the last minute. Now, organizers are scrambling to come up with the money for the parade, and they don't have much time.
Milwaukee's Veterans Day parade typically ends along the lakefront. This year, it may not happen at all.
Organizers are scrambling to come up with $15,000 to $20,000 to make the parade a reality.
It's something that has occurred every Veterans Day for half a century. Thousands line the streets of Milwaukee to pay their respects to those who have served our country.
"It`s not just marching down the street. It`s - we love you!" Mary Ann D'Aquisto said.
D'Aquisto is with the group "Honor Our Military Incorporated." It has coordinated the Veterans Day parade and "Day of Honor" for the past 14 years. With just a few months to go until this year's event on November 8th, comes a major shock.
"I just wish they had told us a little sooner. We`ve lost two of those corporations this year because their foundations decided to go in a different direction," D'Aquisto said.
The groups $30,000 annual budget is made up entirely of donations. With two of its biggest corporate sponsors backing out, D'Aquisto is looking for alternative ways to raise between $15,000 and $20,000 needed to pull off the parade.
"We`re getting to that desperate stage," D'Aquisto said.
Air Force Veteran Frank Kaiser is one of a handful of veterans who has made a donation to the parade's crowd-funding website at GoFundMe.com.
"From my perspective, that`s what the veterans and military do. They take the bull by the horns and do what they have to do," Kaiser said.
He hopes others in the community will step up like he has to make Veterans Day special for those who have served.
"Even just a dollar. A dollar donation," Kaiser said.
Otherwise, Kaiser fears veterans will be forgotten, until next summer.
"It was like, a crushing blow. It would be disappointing, but there`s always Memorial Day parades," Kaiser said.
D'Aquisto says she doesn't want to publicly identify the two corporate sponsors who have backed out. We do know one is a major Milwaukee business.
If the group can't raise the funds, it will have to scale back on many of the day's events -- including the free meal offered to veterans.
If you'd like to make a donation -- CLICK HERE to access the GoFundMe.com page.
Additionally, "Honor Our Military Incorporated" will be at IndyFest this weekend -- holding an auction to raise money.