Saturday, June 1st, 2024
Dr Wiechetek was a big supporter and booster of all things Bayonne. There is possibly nothing more uniquely Bayonne than the Bridgemen Drum Corps. Because the Foundation President, Stanley, was a member of the Birdgemen as well, this seemed an appropriate project for the Foundation.
The Foundation donated funds to create a memorial plaque and helped coordinate a fundraiser sale of inscribed bricks for the paving around the plaque. The Bridgemen Grove in Dennis Collins Park is the result of efforts by a dedicated committee, including Stanley A. Lipinski, Mary Borrello-Cerreta, Michael Creedon, Nancy Kolodziej-DuCharme, Patrick Forker, Donald Mindiak, and Michael Mindiak.
Program for Dedication of Bridgemen Grove Saturday, June 1, 2024 at 11:00 AM
Location: Dennis P. Collins Park
(Amphitheater at the foot of First Street and Avenue C)
Master of Ceremonies – Introduction (Pat Forker)
Presentation of the Colors by Bridgemen Honor Guard
National Anthem sung by Annie Shea Caravalla
Master of Ceremonies – Remarks (Pat Forker)
Bridgemen Brass Ensemble (Selection – Rainbow Connection)
WJW Foundation Remarks and Acknowledgements (Stan Lipinski)
The Honorable Mayor James Davis – Remarks
Council President Gary LaPelusa Sr. – Remarks
Bridgemen Brass Ensemble (Selection – Bridge Over Troubled Waters)
Master of Ceremonies – Closing Remarks (Pat Forker)
Walk from amphitheater to Bridgemen Grove led by the Bridgemen Honor Guard
Mayor Davis, City Council and Bridgemen Committee tend the unveiling of Bridgemen Grove (Photo Op) Bridgemen Brass Ensemble (Selections – Battle Hymn – William Tell excerpt)
Program Ends
Dedication Speech given by Stanley Lipinski
Welcome! I’m delighted to see all of you here on this occasion. This is the first Saturday in June but there is no Tournament of Stars. However, it is a Shining Moment for the Bridgeman family.
Milestones, such as birthdays, graduations, weddings, anniversaries… they give us a pause from everyday life to recognize these personal events and their context in our lives.
These are transitions in our lives from grade school to high school to college from single to married.
and these transitions are Guided by a host of public, private and religious institutions that we’ve adopted and played a role in our development.
One important change that each of us has experienced is that of adolescence to adulthood. And there is no singular event or Milestone that marks this transition.
Rather, it is a journey Guided by family friends and organizations where we learn and build new relationships that shape our Outlook and path in life.
We are here today to honor the organization that offered us a guiding hand through that period of our lives.
As a Catholic Youth Organization the founding of St Andrews Bridgemen was focused on Youth Development. We came from different neighborhoods, learned to play an instrument, marched in formations, twirled and presented flags and rifles all coordinated into a competitive performance.
We learned how to work together towards a common goal. We traveled and were exposed to a wide variety of places and people we would have not normally encountered.
Our membership and commitment to the Bridgemen helped us develop an understanding of responsibility, teamwork and achievement.
We built both personal and team relationships. This has always been at the core of the Bridgeman which in some cases evolved into marriages and long-standing friendships. e
This trajectory of the Bridgemen came from the commitment and guidance of its leadership and staff.
They understood the value of establishing the Bridgemen identity and making an impression on the audience and competition. As we bought into that concept we became a contending Drum Corps and we became a family.
We have an intimate connection with our history and with Bayonne, the city that supported us throughout the years.
This is what gave me the idea of establishing Bridgemen Grove and to commemorate our organization and it serves two purposes.
First, it is a personal place for us to reminisce and reflect upon the camaraderie and the experiences we shared.
Secondly, it is a placeholder of our history, establishing the Bridgemen as an organization that grew out of the support from this city and spread its novel musical ideas and daring to entertain audiences throughout the country.
I felt that the name Bridgemen Grove provided it a more intimate and contemplative touch.
Drum Corps come and go as history points to this ongoing change. To my knowledge, no other drum corps has done what we are doing here today. But if so, the location, design and intimate messaging of this adds to the uniqueness of the Bridgemen name.
Our audiences and competition gravitated to the Showmanship in our performances. And here we are today, to lay a Capstone and honor those who let us to this day.
Associated News from the Event