JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Mayor Lenny Curry and leaders from several organizations on Monday highlighted the upcoming events for the 2019 Celebration of Valor, which honors the service and sacrifice of Jacksonville's military community, and announced this year’s recipients of the community grants from the Jaguars for organizations serving military members and veterans.
The annual celebration includes a wide range of educational, patriotic, community and civic events focused on showing appreciation and respect for those who serve in the United States armed forces. The events will take place before and after Veterans Day.
As part of this year's Celebration of Valor, eight military- and veteran-serving nonprofit organizations received grants totaling more than $58,000 from the Jacksonville Jaguars
"We would not be able to survive without community support, without the grants we get from our community partners," said Dee Quaranta, founder and CEO of Northeast Florida Women Veterans.
Quaranta's organization was among those that received a grant this year. The other seven organizations were Five Star Veterans Center, Florida National Guard Foundation, K9s for Warriors, Operation New Uniform, True Blue: Navy Families Benefactors, Inc., United Way and Yoga 4 Change.
"It's really being who we are as a community and standing side by side, particularly our veterans, to make sure that they are transitioning as well as they can to Northeast Florida," said Peter Racine, senior vice president of Jaguars Foundation and Community Impact.
These nonprofit organizations have one thing in common: They make life easier for members of the military and veterans in the River City.
"What we do is important for our community. We actually have the second largest community of women veterans in the county, so it's a pretty large number here in Northeast Florida," Quaranta said. "So what we do is needed. It's valid. And so we'll keep working."
Below is the list of events for the 2019 Celebration of Valor:
Saturday, Oct. 12
USO Armed Forces Half Marathon & Freedom 5K
Metropolitan Park
1410 Gator Bowl Blvd.
Jacksonville, FL 32202
7 a.m.
Race Hotline: 760-994-2168
USO Armed Forces Half Marathon & Freedom 5K website
Saturday, Oct. 27, and Sunday, Oct. 28
Sea and Sky Air Show
503 1st St. North
Jacksonville Beach, FL 32212
11 a.m.
Sea and Sky Air Show website
Monday, Oct. 28
Celebration of Valor Press Conference
City Hall Atrium
117 W. Duval St.
Jacksonville, FL 32202
10 a.m.
Thursday, Nov. 7
University of North Florida Veterans Day Tribute
Veterans Plaza at UNF Student Union
1 UNF Drive
Jacksonville, FL 32224
10:30 a.m.
Friday, Nov. 8
Northeast Florida Women Veterans, Inc. Employer Summit
Downtown: CareerSource NEFL
215 N. Market St., Suite 100
Jacksonville, FL 32202
9 a.m. to noon
Saturday, Nov. 9
Wounded Warrior Project Carry Forward 5K
Wounded Warrior Project Headquarters
4899 Belfort Road
Jacksonville, FL 32256
7:30 a.m.
Wounded Warrior Project Carry Forward 5K registration website
Sunday, Nov. 10
8th Annual Salute to Veterans 5K
Downtown Jacksonville
929 E. Bay St.
Jacksonville, FL 32202
8 a.m.
8th Annual Salute to Veterans 5K registration website
Council Member Pittman’s Veterans Day Commemoration
Old City Cemetery
Intersection of East Union and Cemetery streets
Jacksonville, FL 32206
2 p.m.
Marine & Navy FMF Corpsmen Memorial Ceremony
Evergreen Cemetery
4535 N. Main St.
Jacksonville, FL 32206
4 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 11
Veterans Day Parade
Downtown Jacksonville -- starts at Everbank Field
11:01 a.m.
City of Jacksonville Office of Special Events Website
Wednesday, Nov. 13
JAX Chamber 17th Annual Military Appreciation Luncheon
Hyatt Regency Riverfront
225 E. Coastline Drive
Jacksonville, FL 32202
11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
JAX Chamber 17th Annual Military Appreciation Luncheon registration website
Thursday, Nov. 14
Jacksonville VA Outpatient Clinic (OPC)/Community Whole Health Summit
FSCJ Advanced Technology Center
401 W. State St.
Jacksonville, FL 32202
8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 15
Military and Veteran Job and Resource Fair
Kingdom Plaza at Normandy Mall
5310 Lenox Ave.
Jacksonville, FL 32205
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 1
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Military Appreciation Game
TIAA Bank Field
1 TIAA Bank Field Drive
Jacksonville, FL 32202
1 p.m.
Military and Veteran High School Visits