July 19, 2010 ~ The Beaver Dam Citizen

                         
   Joe Cantafio (cousin of Ryan Cantafio) and Chris Straseskie (brother of Kirk Straseskie)

The American Hero Music Festival on Sept. 11 will start with a parade this year.

"The parade will start at 10 a.m.," Joe Cantafio said. "Paul Brian from WLS 890 AM Chicago will be broadcasting at 8 a.m. in the parking lot of Ryan's Auto Body. He has a very popular show."

 Cantafio, the cousin of Ryan Cantafio, who died in Iraq, is one of the organizers behind the festival with the Beaver Dam Exchange Club.

 The festival will be held in Swan City Park on Sept. 11 from 12:30 to 10:30 p.m. Admission is free.

 Money raised from concessions and donations at the event will go to scholarships that have been established in Ryan Cantafio and Kirk Straseskie's names, both Beaver Dam natives.

 Cantafio, 22, was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq's Babil Province, south of Baghdad on Nov. 25, 2004. He was a member of the Madison-based Gulf Company, 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines.

 Straseskie died in Iraq on May 19, 2003, after he dove into a canal trying to rescue fellow Marines who were in a helicopter that crashed. He was the first Wisconsin casualty of the Iraq War.

 "Last year (the first year of the event) was an incredible healing event," Cantafio said. "We were able to celebrate the lives of Kirk and Ryan."

 Cantafio said it was through the event that he met Chris Straseskie, Kirk's older brother. Chris Straseskie has been part of the committee since it started has been planning this year's festival along with Cantafio and members of Beaver Dam Exchange Club.

 Cantafio said the parade was the brainchild of Beaver Dam mayor Tom Kennedy. The parade will begin in Tower Parking lot, go west on Mill Street, north on Center Street, east on Front Street, south on University Avenue ending at Swan City Park. "Police cars will be coming from as far as northern Illinois," Cantafio said. "We're looking at 3,000 motorcycles being part of the parade and there will be military vehicles."

 The grand marshal of the parade will be Dodge County Sheriff Todd Nehls. Nehls is a colonel in the Wisconsin Army National Guard.  "There will also be soldiers and Marines marching in the parade," Cantafio said.

 Nehls will also speak during the opening ceremonies at the festival. There will be four bands performing, concessions and military displays. Concessions will be sold using tickets that will be sold in two different areas of the park.

 Beaver Dam's Crystal Waters and Joey Glenn, from Nashville, will perform as well as two bands close to Ryan Cantafio. Alexis will perform, which includes Ryan's mother Sandy Hautamaki and her brothers. Cantafio's band Joe Cantafio and the 101st Rock Division also will perform. "Alexis will come on stage with us again this year to do a Pink Floyd song," Cantafio said. "It was Ryan's favorite."

                     
    Alexis will perform at 5:00PM and will perform a song with Joe Cantafio & the 101st Rock Division

         
   Joe Cantafio & the 101st Rock Division will perform at 7:00 PM

 Cantafio said the Army will set up an Army Zone in the park with vehicles and climbing walls.

 There also will be a missing man ceremony.

 In addition Kirk Straseskie's dress blues and Ryan Cantafio's combat uniform will be displayed.

 "Every Gold Star family will have the opportunity to come up on stage between the entertainment and tell us about their hero," Cantafio said.

 American Hero Music Festival T-Shirts will soon be on sale at Rechek's Food Pride, Beaver Dam Piggly Wiggly and Cousin's Subs. The shirts will be sold for $10 in advance and $15 the day of the festival.

 tpederson@capitalnewspapers.com