The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

October 29, 2012

Couple to head local '500'

By Tom Davidson -----

MERCER COUNTY —

The Mercer Memorial Day 500 will be held next year, thanks to a Worth Township couple who came forward recently to try to fill what they admit are “huge shoes to fill.”

Ed and Sharon Dittrich will replace Mercerites Mark and Linda Brown as organizers of the event, which has become the largest Memorial Day celebration in the county.

“They’re huge shoes to fill, but we’ll do our best,” Sharon Dittrich said. “Hopefully we can rise to the challenge.”

Earlier this year, the Browns decided to step back after 10 years of organizing the community tribute to veterans.

“It’s time,” for new people to come forward, the Browns have said.

But for a month or so after announcing their retirement this summer, it didn’t look like anyone was willing to volunteer as overall coordinator although others stepped forward to do portions of the work required for a successful event.

At the beginning of October they issued a last-ditch appeal and said if someone didn’t volunteer by Oct. 31 the Memorial Day 500 would have to be canceled.

The Dittrichs didn’t want that to happen, Sharon Dittrich said.

“It’s just a wonderful event in our minds and it wasn’t thinkable for it to stop,” Sharon Dittrich said.

The Browns have left them with a successful “blueprint” for how and when organizing should occur and the Dittriches plan to follow that, they said.

They’ll be assisted by 23 “captains” who oversee a particular part of the event and Sharon Dittrich said they hope to foster cooperation among the captains.

“Right now we’re just focusing on learning the blueprint, getting to know the individuals, trying to include as many people as possible,” Sharon Dittrich said.

They’ll be introduced to the public during an open house from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 7 at the Mercer Pizza Joes.

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