Little River Patriot’s Day Festival is Saturday

By Carl MacLeod and Matt Davis

This festival is a tribute to the unbreakable spirit of those who have defended and upheld America’s freedoms, both locally and nationally.

The festival will start with a Parade at 8:15 a.m. at the corner of Mineola and Watson. Followed by a moment of Silence, Prayer, Three-Round Volley, Taps, Flag Folding, National Anthem, Pledge of Allegiance remarks from Brigadier General John Wilkinson U.S Air Force Retired, Wreath Blessing, Tim Clark Band, Multiple other Speakers, Food and Venders.

The 9/11 Memorial Tribute and Patriot’s Day Festival is dedicated to honoring the past, present and future bravery, selflessness and sacrifices of everyday American citizens in response to national emergencies, disasters and tragedies. It serves as a tribute to the citizens of New York City who became patriots by aiding in search and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center, Pentagon and Pennsylvania crash sites after the 9/11 attacks. The first responders, police, EMS, firefighters and healthcare workers who provided critical aid and committed themselves to rescue and recovery missions. The captains and crews of ferries, tugboats, merchant ships, sightseeing vessels, police launches and fireboats who participated in Operation “Boatlift,” the largest maritime evacuation in history, responding to the Coast Guard’s call to transport victims and deliver supplies.

The Little River Chamber of commerce, along with a dedicated group of local leaders, is proud to introduce the Veterans, first Responders & Patriots 9/11 Memorial (VFRP), and the Annual Little River Patriot’s Day Festival. A special event honoring our military heroes, first responders and community service members.

The 9-11-01 Memorial Aquatic Reef will be approximately 10 miles of the coastal waters of Little River, S.C. and the North Myrtle Beach Area in about 60 feet of water. It will eventually become a massive long-term community-based project that will promote a healthy aquatic and coral reef environment. It will also support local sport fishing and SCUBA diving activities. The 9-11-01 Memorial Aquatic reef will be the cornerstone of the unique memorial dedicated to the victims of the 09-11-01 tragedy. Mr. Cameron Sebastan who is the Operations Manager for the Hurricane Little River Fishing Fleet, and Coastal SCUBA will be involved in the program that will be working with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Mr. Sebastan describes their plan of composing the reef with  concrete and other materials that would last over 100 years instead of the typical constructions that are primarily constructed of steel. The concrete mixed materials will also allow for the transplanting of coral reef onto the structure which will have a huge impact on the time it would take to mature the coral reef. Mr. Sebastan compares the difference in coral growth from approximately 5-10 years to a little over 1 year.  For more information you can email Cameron Sebastan at cameron@coastalscuba.com or the Little River Chamber of Commerce.