EDITORIAL

One small parade, one giant feat for Rhode Island

Posted 5/30/19

Only in Rhode Island can one person from a small village within one community make waves that go all the way into outer space. It was over a year ago that we reported on Conimicut resident Lonnie Barham's astronomical aspirations to launch the country's

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EDITORIAL

One small parade, one giant feat for Rhode Island

Posted

Only in Rhode Island can one person from a small village within one community make waves that go all the way into outer space.

It was over a year ago that we reported on Conimicut resident Lonnie Barham’s astronomical aspirations to launch the country’s only know parade to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. At the time it served as a fun story – one guy’s crazy but cool idea that would likely fail to leave the runway, as so many cool ideas unfortunately do.

But Barham has demonstrated in the months since that not only was he serious about organizing the parade, but that it will happen, one small step for man at a time.

The list of participants Barham has convinced to join the festivities is already impressive, and with the July 20 anniversary date creeping closer and closer, the momentum will hopefully gravitate even more people and groups, especially those who appreciate the sheer magnitude of historical significance that the moon landing represents.

Already, there is a retired NASA astronaut, Woody Spring, who is also a Rhode Island native, joining as grand marshal. Miss Rhode Island, color and honor guards, the 88th Army Band and The Pawtuxet Rangers have all signed onto the cause – ensuring plenty of people to march and make the parade a great spectacle.

Further, Barham has enlisted the help of local students to manufacture floats. The talented students at the Warwick Area Career and Technical Center and marine trades program at Toll Gate High School have constructed a mock Apollo 11 lunar command module, and the Conimicut Boy Scout Troop 1 chipped in by construction a mock Saturn 1 rocket. Others have donated antique military vehicles, and classic cars, to be shown off.

As time draws nearer, elected officials statewide and perhaps beyond will likely catch wind of the event and cling to it, which will hopefully bring even more attention and, ideally, some money to help accomplish the mission. These things take money too, of course, and who else answered the bell to fundraising than the Rhode Island Foundation, that joined in recently with a $9,000 donation towards running the parade.

Hopefully, more people will realize the awesome opportunity this parade represents. It is a chance to show off all the best things about Rhode Island – how we cherish history, how we can launch a monumental, completely unique event unlike any other in the entire world and how we can do it by simply reaching out and collaborating with one another.

But more than that bit of abstract symbolism, the parade more simply represents an important remembrance of what is arguably mankind’s greatest accomplishment – the successful launching from our Earthly boundaries and safe landing upon a distant, celestial neighbor.

The moon landing transcended everything going on the surface of our pale blue dot – every petty squabble, every contentious debate, every decision big or small, consequential or not. For the astronauts who left the atmosphere, their perspectives forever changed to a global one. They were no longer simply Americans, but Earthlings.

We hope that this parade will inspire the next generation of Earthlings to literally and figuratively reach for the heavens and refuse to be satisfied until they get there. We are in dire need today of things that bring us together and make us realize our relative insignificance among the vastness of the universe, that make us realize how precious our one small planet really is.

Recognizing and remembering an event that forever changed our perspective is an enormously important endeavor, and everyone who is able to contribute in any way should be proud to help make it happen.

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  • FASTFREDWARD4

    If it hot out that day I,ll bring the water gun to cool my little meetball down .

    Wednesday, July 10, 2019 Report this