July 4 Events and Notes: Two DG Veterans Lead Parade
Last updated: Public Relations Specialist |
Downers Grove is proud to have two resident veterans lead the July 4 Parade as Grand Marshals; David Sapyta and his dog, Lucy, Enlisted when he was 19 year old, Sapyta served for over a year in Vietnam in the 101st Airborne Rangers. He earned two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star.
(Pictured right: Afghanistan veteran, Lucy. Photo by Bill Ackerman.)
Lucy served five years in Afghanistan as a bomb detection dog, protecting and alerting soliders to what might be a land mine or explosive device by laying down and blocking the soldier's path.
The Sapytas met Lucy nearly two years ago in Texas at a privately funded facility that brought Lucy and nine other canine veterans back to the United States to be adopted.
The story of Lucy and the Sapytas has recently been featured in the media:
Parade
All events will be held on July 4.
Spectators: The parade begins at 12:45 p.m. at Main St. and Grant St. and travels south on Main, ending at Warren Ave.
Participant Information: If you are marching in the parade, check the following:
Accessibility
Fireworks Show
Sponsored by the Village of Downers Grove and Village of Woodridge. The fireworks begin at approximately 9:30 p.m. at 75th St. and Lemont Rd.
Illegal Fireworks
Did you know that fireworks are illegal in Downers Grove and in Illinois? The Downers Grove Municipal Code mirrors that of the Illinois State Fireworks Code, which means that firecrackers, bottle rockets, cherry bombs, and the like are prohibited. Though one can easily purchase fireworks legally in adjacent states, it is illegal to bring them home across the border. Any person convicted of an offense shall be subject to a fine of between $75.00 and $750.00.
Legal firework novelties such as sparklers, fountains, snakes, party poppers, and ground spinners, marketed as “safe,” still possess dangers. About one quarter of emergency room, fireworks injuries occur from July 2 to July 5. The risk of fireworks injury is more than twice as high for children ages 10-14 as for the general population. Children as young as 2 years old are commonly handed sparklers which reach temperatures of 1,200 to 1,800 degrees, hot enough to cause third-degree burns, yet adults underestimate the dangers.
Holiday Garbage Collection
Residents with Friday collection will be picked up on Saturday, July 5, due to the Friday holiday.