SAUGUS — The town held its annual Memorial Day parade Saturday, with dozens of residents lining the streets as a convoy made its way from Anna Parker to Riverside Cemetery.
The parade began at 10 a.m. Saturday and wound its way through Cliftondale Square before moving up Central Street and culminating at the cemetery, where state and town officials gathered for a ceremony. The ceremony drew the town’s legislative delegation, state Sen. Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn), and state Reps. Donald Wong (R-Saugus) and Jessica Giannino (D-Revere). Former U.S. Senator Scott Brown served as the special guest speaker for the event, marking a return to Saugus for the former ambassador who addressed the town 12 years ago.
Crighton, Wong and Giannino presented a ceremonial proclamation from Gov. Maura Healey declaring the last Monday in May Memorial Day, which Saugus Veterans Council Commander Steve Castinetti, a retired Navy captain, said is an annual tradition.
Castinetti and the Veterans Council organize the event each year, with the help of WIN Waste Innovations, which makes an annual donation to the council that funds the parade. This year’s parade featured a unique twist in the form of a media truck, which projected a rotating display of monuments and memorials in town along with photos of fallen Saugus veterans.
The idea for the media truck came about during the initial planning stages of this year’s parade, Castinetti said, when it became apparent it would be difficult to get a band to join the ceremonies due to rising costs and limited availability. So, Castinetti turned to Selectmen Jeff Cicolini, who referred him to Beantown Advertising, a Peabody-based company. The company provided the truck free of charge for use throughout the day, Castinetti said.
Castinetti worked with John Prudent of Saugus Cable TV to put together the video presentation played on the media truck.
“It was quite emotional for me,” Castinetti said of watching the video, which concluded with the photos of Saugus veterans killed in action. “The media truck was the focal point for Memorial Day yesterday in Saugus.”
While the media truck served as the centerpiece this year, Castinetti said residents shouldn’t count on seeing it again next year.
“Every year I’m looking to do something different to try and draw more people,” he said. “Every year we try and make it a little bit better, and hopefully next year it’ll be even better.”
Castinetti also expressed disappointment with criticism surrounding the inclusion of a WIN Waste Innovations truck in the parade, noting the company’s critical role in ensuring the parade’s success.
“Until somebody else steps up and decides they want to write us a multi-thousand-dollar check, they have no right to criticize anything we do at the Saugus Veterans Council,” he said.
Despite the blowback, Castinetti said seeing a significant turnout, particularly children, along the parade route was encouraging.
Selectmen Corrine Riley praised residents for turning out to pay their respects during the parade, and said Memorial Day serves as a key reminder of the value of the armed forces.
“It was a great day to acknowledge … the freedoms that we have, [which] many people take for granted,” Riley said. “We are where we are because of the courageous men and women that served and kept our country safe.”
