It’s never too late — or too early — to say thanks to those who have made American freedom possible.

Garner is kicking off the Memorial Day celebrations with the Garner Veterans Memorial Salute to the Troops, set for this Sunday, May 18 at 6 p.m.

This inaugural event, a celebration of all veterans, will be filled with patriotic music, emotional pictures and a moving ceremony.

Free and open to the public, Salute to the Troops will be held at Aversboro Road Baptist Church in Garner, and all veterans in attendance will receive a gift from the community.

“This will be a celebration concert,” said Tim Stevens, who is among event organizers. “We hope to do this every year, and even expand it.”
 
Leading Salute to the Troops will be “America’s Tenor” Steve Amerson, and Laurie Gayle Stephenson, who previously starred on Broadway as Christine in Phantom of the Opera.

Amerson travels the country singing at Medal of Honor presentation ceremonies, and at the funerals of Medal of Honor recipients. A renowned recording artist, he has sung at Carnegie Hall and with symphonies across the U.S.

Stephenson made her Broadway debut in The Secret Garden, starred for two years on Broadway as Christine, and debuted in the role with the first national touring company at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Together, the artists will present a specially-prepared version of their Broadway Salute to the Troops. The program will include patriotic songs such as Into the Fire, God Bless America, Requiem for a Soldier, Bring Him Home, God Bless America, and God Bless The USA.

To view clips of the music, see amazedbyamerica.com. For more info on Salute to the Troops, click here. 

There's more: The Town of Garner’s annual Memorial Day ceremony will be held Monday, May 26 at 1:30 p.m. near the Garner Veterans Memorial in Lake Benson Park, located at 921 Buffaloe Road.