Mercer Memorial Day 500 honors our Valley's bravest

MERCER, Pa. - As Memorial Day marks the end of nearly all health restrictions in Pennsylvania, an annual event in Mercer is back celebrating the unofficial start of summer and what is hopefully the end of the pandemic.
The Mercer Memorial Day 500 took place Monday morning with the Jason Michaels Memorial 5K Race followed by an honorees awards ceremony at the Courthouse Bandstand.
A parade then marched down Route 19 to the Citizens Cemetery where the memorial ceremony took place with the playing of taps and a flyover.
Thousands of people were expected to attend the event.
Last year, the pandemic hindered festivities and caused the parade to be canceled, so this year was a fresh new start as people came back out to commemorate those who made the ultimate sacrifice.