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January 4, 2013
Dear Friends,
It is with much regret that I write to inform you that the Peace Corps Community, which represents the joint efforts of the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) and Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Washington DC (RPCV/W), was not selected by the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) to participate in the 57th Presidential Inauguration Parade this month.
We learned of this decision in late December, and despite an appeal we were told that the PIC wanted a smaller parade this year, which resulted in a decision to reduce the number of participants – including our group. Our bid to march was a 6-month collaborative effort between our members and the NPCA, exchanging ideas and following an established plan based on our last successful experience in 2009 when we led 180 marchers at the 56th Inaugural.
Although I regret the PIC’s decision, I am proud of the work that the Peace Corps Community committed to this undertaking and I look forward to all that we can accomplish in our next venture. Our absence in the parade will not lessen the contributions that the Peace Corps Community has made in service to the United States, in the fulfillment of the three goals of Peace Corps.
To this end, we note that President Obama has called on all citizens to recognize January 19th as a national day of service and spend some time doing service work across the country. We thank you for your enthusiasm and your passion, and hope you will apply it to serving your communities as you have served the peoples of the world.
Kind regards,
Corey Taylor, Benin 97-99
Chair, RPCV/W Inaugural Committee
Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Washington DC (RPCV/W)
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