Strong showing of community support expected for 2018 CARE Rockbridge MLK Community Parade

The second annual CARE Rockbridge MLK Community Parade will be Monday, January 15, on MLK Day. This year’s theme is “We March For Love.”

“We are in the streets for love and joy, not to fight.  In the tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. we are looking forward, not backwards, to a world where we all are equally valued,” said Reginald A. Early, spokesperson for CARE Rockbridge.

More than 700 participants marched in the 2017 parade without incident. People of all ages and backgrounds followed the route, singing and chanting. Enthusiasm, support, and media coverage for the inaugural parade extended well beyond the borders of Rockbridge County, with an endorsement from Major League Soccer and an article in the New York Times, which featured a Daily 360 companion video.

Building on lessons learned from the last year, CARE Rockbridge organizers have released 2018 participation safety guidelines through their website and Facebook page.  CARE Rockbridge is banning all weapons, and in consultation with law enforcement, will require that all signs participants carry be made of crushable materials. No sticks, boards, or poles will be permitted.

Parade logistics coordinator Robin LeBlanc stressed that all participants should remember that those bringing signs should use family-friendly language and positive messages reflective of the spirit of community and this year’s theme, “We March For Love.”

The 2018 CARE Rockbridge MLK Parade is on Monday, January 15, 2018, at 10 a.m.  Participants will gather at and depart from the Randolph Street United Methodist Church at 118 S. Randolph Street, in Lexington.  More parade details are available at carerockbridge.org or www.facebook.com/CAREParade2018.