On May 28th, 2007 at 10:00AM, in association with Michigan State District Representative Gino Polidori, and Dearborn, Michigan City Councilwoman Suzanne Sareini, the Association of Patriotic Arab Americans in Military — APAAM, will march in the 2007 Dearborn, Michigan Memorial Day Parade.
This will be a historic event for the Arab American Community – the first ever march or participation of a national level Arab American Veterans Organization in a high profile Memorial Day Parade. We are marching to honor the memory, service and sacrifice of all Americans who have lost their lives for the defense of America. We are also marching to recognize the heroes from the Arab American Community who served and sacrificed their lives during the over 230 years of American history — from Army Private Nathan Badeen who died in 1776 during the Revolutionary War to Marine Corporal Salem Bachar who recently died in Iraq in 2005.
Arab Americans have served in every conflict since the Revolutionary War. Our History Validates our Presence. Please join us in this historic march. All veterans, service-members, or family-members of veterans or service-members are welcome to join. Please contact Sam Alhumdi at sama@apaam.org or by phone at (734) 377-2536.
About APAAM: The Association of Patriotic Arab Americans in Military (APAAM),www.apaam.org was created shortly after September 11th, 2001, in an effort to organize current and former Arab- Americans in the military. There are approximately 3,500 Arab- Americans serving in our Armed Forces. Based on the fact that there are no other formal organizations representing Arab- Americans in the military, APAAM has the distinction of being the first official organization for Arab- Americans in the Military. APAAM’s goals are to educate their fellow American and Arab communities of their dual patriotism to their ancestral heritage, coupled by their burning dedication to this country, by emphasizing their service and sacrifice as military service men and women, and to ultimately close the gap that lies between bigotry, ignorance and prejudice on one end, and tolerance on the other.
About Michigan State Representative Gino Polidori: Polidori is a U.S. Army veteran having served in the U.S. Army from 1964-1966. Polidori is currently serving his second term as District 15 State Representative. Polidori served 22 years as Dearborn’s Fire Chief, retiring in 1996. While Fire Chief, he oversaw the organization and installation of the City’s Early Warning System and planned the city’s first Hazardous Materials program. In 1988, Polidori was appointed by then-Michigan Governor James Blanchard to serve on the Community Right to Know Commission for hazardous materials.
Polidori was also called upon by the Michigan State Police to work on the Underground Storage Tanks Committee (EPA-DNR). In 1987-88, he was elected President of the Michigan State Fire Chiefs’ Association. In recognition of his volunteer efforts, he has been the recipient of several awards, including the Community Service Award from the Detroit College of Business and the Edgar A. Guest Masonic Award for excellence in community service. A lifelong Dearborn resident, Polidori is involved with a variety of community organizations.
About Councilwoman Sareini: Suzanne Sareini is the mother of U.S. Navy Lieutenant Sam Sareini. Suzanne Sareini was first elected to the Council in the November, 1989, election, when she captured the third greatest number of votes. She was appointed as Council President Pro Tem in July, 1993, when Robert Knoop stepped down to run for the City’s Treasurer’s post. In 2002, was appointed a trustee to the Chapter 23 Police and Fire Revised Retirement System. In October 1996, Sareini was appointed to serve a second term on the Michigan Women’s Commission, where she served as co-chair for both terms of the Education and Employment Committee. Sareini is also a member of the Women’s Association for the Dearborn Orchestral Society (WADOS) and the Dearborn Community Arts Council. In 1992, President George Bush appointed Sareini to serve on the Meritorious Rank Review Board for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, and she was appointed by the executive board of the Lebanese American Heritage Club to serve as its director from 1995-1996.
FOR EVENT CONTACT:
Please contact Sam Alhumdi at sama@apaam.org or by phone at (734) 377-2536. For Media contact media@apaam.org