Philadelphia Veterans Parade Names Kristin Leone and Kevin McCloskey Co-Grand Marshals of the 2021 Parade & Festival

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, UNITED STATES , November 3, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Philadelphia Veterans Parade & Festival, presented by Comcast, is proud to announce Lieutenant Commander Kristin Leone, RN, MSN, and Kevin McCloskey as Co-Grand Marshals of the 2021 Parade and Festival. The #PhillyVetParade and the Veteran Festival occur on November 7, 2020, kicking off at 12:30 PM. The Grand Marshal honor is awarded to veterans of a past war or conflict who exemplify the values of service, patriotism, and valor.

As a Lieutenant Commander in the US Navy Nurse Corps, Kristin served a six-month deployment to Afghanistan in 2015. She treated patients in the intensive care unit at a combat hospital in Kandahar. She was awarded the Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal for outstanding service, earned her bachelor’s in nursing from DeSales University in 1998, and a master’s in nursing from Drexel University in 2019. Her experience includes working in a neonatal hospital unit, an adult intensive care unit, and in the ICU at Virtua Voorhees. At BAYADA, she provides care in her patients’ homes and serves as a clinical educator training other nurses. In addition, she raises awareness and resources for the 4300+ homeless women Veterans in this country as a board member of HAVEN. Her advocacy has made her a South Jersey Magazine “Super Woman of 2020”. This year, Kristin launched her TV show, Breaking Barriers, on the streaming network RVN TV. Breaking Barriers is a show to educate, motivate, and inspire you with guests who have overcome barriers and made a difference in their community.

“Being named Grand Marshal is such an incredible honor. Throughout my life and military career, I have worked hard to serve and help others heal from physical wounds or those found in transitioning to civilian life,” explains Kristin Leone. “There should never be a homeless or unemployed veteran, and I will continue to use my voice to advocate for women veterans, their children, and any veteran who needs support.”

In 2008 Army Corporal Kevin McCloskey suffered a life-changing injury in Afghanistan, resulting in losing both of his legs, partial loss of vision, burns, and a traumatic brain injury. However, his injury, while life-changing, does not define him. Kevin is a new dad to a healthy baby boy and a loving husband to his wife, Bridget. With the support of his community, fellow veterans, and veteran organizations, specifically Homes For our Troops, Kevin was blessed with an accessible home in 2019. Additionally, Kevin works with several veterans groups to tell his story of perseverance. While every day may be a challenge, he feels it’s important for other veterans to hear the recovery and success stories and the daily battles that lead to a sense of victory. Currently working as a bartender, Kevin is about to launch his own business and intends to hire veterans to work with him.

“I come to these events to share my story with other veterans. It is so important to hear from someone who has been there and experienced that. It is still possible to be successful after everything we have been through, especially with the support of family, community and other veterans. I wouldn’t be where I am without my support system,” states Kevin McCloskey. “I know that every day takes hard work, but veterans are tough. We are resilient and will rise to the challenge that life brings us.”
“The Grand Marshal of the Philadelphia Veterans Parade is a veteran who answered the call to service and continues to inspire others while contributing to their community and, most importantly, helps other veterans,” says Anthony Murphy, President of the Philadelphia Veterans Parade.

The Philadelphia Veterans Parade would like to thank its sponsors: Comcast, Wells Fargo, Humana, Hands from the Heart, Citizens, Trulieve, AHARI, and NLUS.

Photos:
Photos of the 2019 parade parade can be found here, photo credits.
Photos of Kristin Leone can be found here
Photos of Kevin McCloskey can be found here

Social:
Facebook: @PhiladelphiaVeteransParade
Instagram: @PhillyVetParade
#PhillyVetParade

About Philadelphia Veteran’s Parade
Founded in 2014, Philadelphia Veterans Parade is a non-profit with the mission of promoting, managing and conducting an annual parade that honors the sacrifices of our Veterans in the tri-state region. The organization is run by a volunteer Board of Directors & Members

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