The grand marshals have been selected for the 2021 Pittston Tomato Festival honoring all essential workers from the City of Pittston. Shown are respresentatives from city departments. Left to right: Chief Ed Szafran, Greater Pittston Ambulance, Chief Frank Roman, Pittston City Fire Dept., Sgt. William Lukasavage, City of Pittson Police, Ron Faraday, City of Pittston facilities director. Absent: Chief Neil Murphy, City of Pittston Police, Mark Buckley, City of Pittston Streets and Sanitation Department.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
PITTSTON – The Pittston Tomato Festival committee has chosen essential workers of the city as grand marshal for 2021.
Department heads will represent each respective department in the annual Tomato Festival parade on Saturday, Aug. 21.
The grand marshals for 2021 representing the City of Pittston are Chief Ed Szafran, Greater Pittston Ambulance; Fire Chief Frank Roman; Police Chief Neil Murphy; Ron Faraday, city facilities director; and Mark Buckley, city Streets and Sanitation Department.
The parade is scheduled to step off after the final 5K walk/runner crosses the finish line at approximately 10:30 a.m.
Mayor Michael Lombardo, the 2021 Tomato Festival chair, felt it is appropriate to honor the men and women, who guard, protect, defend and save the lives of those living in the City of Pittston.
“We are the department heads representing all the essential workers,” Roman said. “It’s a huge honor to represent all the essential workers with it being such a rough year with COVID and essential workers did an awful lot.”
Roman, who spoke on behalf of all the grand marshals of the Tomato Festival parade, was quick to mention all essential workers in the field of medicine that have sacrificed so much during the pandemic.
“It’s also an honor to represent doctors, nurses, other workers like our city’s street workers who were out everyday during COVID,” Chief Roman said. “It’s just an honor to stand up for all of them and we’re just a small part of what’s represented.”
Like so many in Greater Pittston, Chief Roman is looking forward to great time at the Tomato Festival.
“Being there was no festival last year, it will be overwhelming there will be a festival,” Chief Roman said. “It will be great to see people that we haven’t seen in two years like the people that come out to the festival that support it. A lot of other areas are not having events, and it will be good to have something for the people to come out, enjoy the ethnic foods, the great music, and have a great time.”
