The annual Veterans 5K is at Copper Sky this weekend.

The community will honor its veterans this month with a new parade and a returning 5K fun run.

Years in the making, Maricopa’s first Veterans Day Parade will make its foundational march down Porter Road on Nov. 11.

The parade is organized and sponsored by various community organizations, including American Legion Auxiliary Unit 133, Veterans Parade Committee, Tortosa Home Owners Association, Leading Edge Academy, City of Maricopa, Ak-Chin Indian Community, Maricopa Unified School District, Legacy Traditional School, Sequoia Pathway Academy and Central Arizona College.

Participant registration can be found on the American Legion Auxiliary website at ALPost133AZ.org.

The parade begins at 9 a.m. at Legacy Traditional School, marches north on Porter and concludes at Pacana Park.

Afterward, a free luncheon at Leading Edge Academy will be held for veterans and their families at noon.

“It’s nice to have a parade, but for us it’s nice to honor the veterans for their service, their sacrifice and their families, so it’s really nice when the community is showing support,” said American Legion Auxiliary president and parade organizer Gabriela Potter.

The weekend before the parade, the third annual Veterans 5K run and 1-mile walk will honor military veterans at Copper Sky on Nov. 4.

Early registration is available at Copper Sky Recreation Center and online at ALPost133AZ.org. Registration is $25.

Participants can also register the day of the event at 7 a.m., but organizer Terry Oldfield said registering in advance secures an event T-shirt in the preferred size.

Every veteran who participates in the run receives a medal.

A flag-raising ceremony will take place at 8 a.m. followed by the start of the race 15 minutes later on Copper Sky grounds.

A pancake breakfast will be available during the event and is open to non-participants as well for a suggested $5 donation.

The run is the American Legion’s main fund-raising event of the year, Oldfield said, and helps fund the group’s community projects including Boys State and Girls State, and the sponsorship of American Legion Baseball in the city.

“Everything we earn goes right back to Maricopa,” Oldfield said.

Last year, Potter said, the event welcomed nearly 300 participants. This year Oldfield is hoping for an even bigger show of community support.

“I always hope for better,” Oldfield said.

This story appears in the November issue of InMaricopa.

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