Village of Orland Park Announces Memorial Day Weekend Events

The Village of Orland Park will host three important events during the Memorial Day weekend.

“Memorial Day in Orland Park means the start of summer,” said Mayor Dan McLaughlin. “The village’s aquatic center opens for the season. Orland Park is hosting a very special ceremony for Korean War veterans and the community will gather to observe Memorial Day as we remember the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country,” he said.

The village’s Centennial Park Aquatic Center begins its 21st  season on Saturday, May 26, being open from noon to 8:00 p.m. Located at 15600 West Avenue, this outdoor village facility includes a lazy river, body flume slide, drop slide, tube slides, platform jump, lap lanes, and a zero depth pool with a kiddie structure.

The center offers open swim, swim lessons, water exercise classes, splash parties, pavilion rentals, late night swims and family fun events. A complete schedule appears in the village’s Recreation Spring/Summer Program Guide.

“It’s hard to believe that it’s been twenty years since Centennial Park and the aquatic center both debuted during the village’s 1992 Centennial Celebration,” said Trustee Pat Gira, who chairs the village’s Recreation and Parks Committee and was a member of the village’s Recreation and Parks Advisory Board in 1992.

“We mark the pool’s 21st season as we celebrate the village’s 120th anniversary,” Gira noted. Information about the village’s Centennial Park Aquatic Center is available by calling the Recreation Department at 708/403-7275 and on the village’s website at www.orland-park.il.us.

The Village of Orland Park will host the south side commemoration ceremony to honor veterans of the Korean War on Sunday, May 27th at 1:00 p.m. at the village’s Veterans Memorial, 14700 South Ravinia Avenue.

“This is a tremendous honor for the Village of Orland Park to be named the host site for this very important ceremony,” said Mayor Dan McLaughlin, “We’re very proud of our Veterans Commission and everything that they’ve done to make this recognition possible for the many Korean War veterans throughout the region.”

The village’s Veterans Commission is working with the Department of Defense and the Pentagon so that all Korean War veterans in the south suburban region can be recognized. To register for a recognition certificate, Korean War veterans who served in Korea from 1950 to 1953 must complete an on-line form at www.koreanwar.defense.gov. The certificate will be mailed to the address that is indicated on the form.

The Korean government and people in Korean communities across the United States are holding ceremonies to publicly recognize veterans during the 60th anniversary of the Korean War. Orland Park’s regional ceremony will be held outdoors, at the village’s Veterans Memorial.

Immediately following the ceremony, attendees are invited to gather inside the Civic Center for Korean entertainment and refreshments. A short video expressing gratitude from the people of Korea will be shown and Korean War veterans and their families will be presented with their certificates. 

Korean War veterans can call Gail Blummer at 708/403-6203 to respond for the event. “We have heard from Korean War veterans from throughout the area,” Blummer said. “They are all very excited and are looking forward to the May 27th ceremony,” she added.

The village’s annual Memorial Day ceremony will be held on Monday, May 28 at 1:00 p.m. This ceremony will also be held at Orland Park’s Veterans Memorial, “Ara Pace, Place of Peace.”

Frann Carnivele-Sidlow, resident director of the Village of Orland Park Theatre Troupe, will sing the national anthem. Colors will be presented by members of the Palos-Orland Reber-Tesmond Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #2604 and the American Legion Orland Memorial Post #111. Members of Orland Park Boy Scout Troop #383 will serve as an honor guard for both ceremonies with members of Orland Park Cub Scout Pack #383 joining them for the Memorial Day honor guard.

“We’re happy to honor the fourteen veterans whose names have been added to the village’s memorial,” McLaughlin said. “It’s nice to see these vets, their families and family members of veterans no longer with us proudly rise to their feet as everyone applauds their service to our country,” the mayor said.

During the ceremony, the mayor invites the veterans and or their family members to stand to be publicly recognized for their service.  Refreshments will be served inside of the Civic Center immediately following the service.

Additional information about the Memorial Day Weekend festivities is available by calling the Village of Orland Park Veterans Commission at 708/403-6203.