Memorial Day Parade carries on a tradition of remembrance

By Ian Swaby
| 3:35 p.m. May 26, 2025

Sarasota Military Academy students Skyler Selby, Nathan New, Aiden Blair, Benson Van and Desmond Hunter walk in the procession.

Sarasota
Neighbors

Sonny Bywaters recalled his time visiting schools to teach students about the significance of the American flag and the sacrifices of military personnel.

“It’s up to us to do it ourselves,” he said, noting the young people who were present that day, May 26, at the Memorial Day Parade.

This year, at J.D. Hamel Park after the parade, the annual ceremony honored the Marine veteran as he stepped down as the ceremony's emcee.

Bywaters is a founding member of the Sarasota Patriotic Observance Committee, which hosts the parade and ceremony each year in conjunction with the City of Sarasota.

The parade, beginning at Main Street and Osprey Avenue, brought together local law enforcement agencies, first responders, organizations and government officials.

Bywaters served as keynote speaker of the ceremony, receiving awards that included a key to the city and a patriotic blanket created by a group that included Tootie Kennedy, the wife of Parade Marshall Dan Kennedy.

“It’s beyond belief how I feel right now,” Bywaters said. “I started this just because it needed to be done, not for any accolades, … and then it evolved into this, the best of the best.”

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Ryder Raguth, 5, watches the parade with his grandmother Missy Raguth.

A robot dog walks beside Sarasota Military Academy students.

Idil Ata, Defne Moses, Emberley Custode, and Gracie Lynn, 7, of Girl Scouts Troop 79, handed out flags during the event.

City Commissioner Debbie Trice (left) presents the key to the city to Sonny Bywaters (right), as Bywaters' daughter Cheryl Hugh applauds.

Tricia Ward, her daughter Violet Ward, 8, and her husband Jerrod Ward hold a banner promoting hurricane relief, with Jan Solomon.

Luna and Sox, of Service Dogs Saving Lives, walk in the parade.

Emma Serrone, 11, her mother Kate Serrone, sister Charlotte Serrone, 9 and father Joe Serrone ride in a troop handler formerly deployed in Iraq, with the Florida Military Vehicle Heritage Group.

Blake Erquiaga and Jessica Gil of the Pop-up Library decorate the vehicle for Memorial Day.

Sarasota Military Academy Major Michael Finley posed in a fire truck for a photo to send to his brother, Mitchell Finley, who just retired from 26 years at the Phoenix Fire Department in Arizona.

Sonny Bywaters stands with Ivey Coletti, 12, her brother Elijah Coletti, 10 and her grandmother Jan Solomon and grandfather Tim Solomon. Jan Solomon's father was Chaplain J.D. Hamel, for whom J.D. Hamel Park, where the ceremony was held, is named.

Esther Smith talks with Danny Bilyeu about his father, a Navy veteran. Bilyeu played the anthems of different military branches on trumpet, in honor of his father, who served on a Destroyer warship in World War II and survived an attack by kamikaze aircraft that killed 67 people and left 37 missing.

The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office leads the parade.

Megan Ronan sings the National Anthem as she stands beside Sonny Bywaters.

Harlow Swerdlow, 7, and her brother Oscar Swerdlow, 6, walk in the parade.

Paul Baker and Randy Larsen of Siesta Trolley drove trolleys in the parade.

A skeleton decoration honors the fallen inside a jeep.

The Sarasota County Fire Department helps lead the parade.

Wallace Hoppe, of Sons of the American Revolution, walks the parade route.

Flags are placed around the war memorial at J.D. Hamel Park.

author

Ian Swaby

Ian Swaby is the Sarasota neighbors writer for the Observer. Ian is a Florida State University graduate of Editing, Writing, and Media and previously worked in the publishing industry in the Cayman Islands.