Fox Valley Citizens for Peace and Justice
Media Advisory

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 6 September 2005 INFORMATION: Siobhan Kolar 630.845.9418
CINDY SHEEHAN EXPECTED IN BATAVIA

Batavia, IL - The Bring the Troops Home Now bus tour led by Cindy Sheehan will be stopping in Batavia, Illinois on Wednesday, September 7 at 3 p.m.

To welcome the tour, a rally is planned at Riverwalk Park located in downtown Batavia at Houston St. and Island.

At 3:30 p.m. the group will visit House Speaker Dennis Hastert’s district office in an attempt to meet with him. They plan to ask what “noble cause” our American soldiers are dying for in Iraq, and to ask that our returning veterans be treated with the dignity they deserve by having the government providing veterans benefits that meet the needs of our wounded soldiers. Area antiwar veterans and military families from the 14th District who support and share the tour’s mission have also requested to participate in this meeting with Speaker Hastert.

At 7:00 p.m. the delegation will attend a peace vigil in Wheaton, IL at the Danada Equestrian Center, located at 3 S. 503 Naperville Rd. in Wheaton.

The delegates are part of the Bring Them Home Now Tour which sent 3 buses of delegates to cross the country to arrange meetings at Congressional District Office and will reconvene in Washington D.C. to take part in the United for Peace and Justice Mobilization taking place September 24th-26th.

Tour speakers scheduled to appear include: Al Zappala of Philadelphia, PA, whose son Sgt. Sherwood Baker was the first Pennsylvania National Guardsman to die in combat since World War II. He was killed in Baghdad on April 26, 2004. Tammara Rosenleaf of Belton, TX, whose husband serves in the Army, stationed at Ft. Hood, and will be deploying to Iraq this fall. Cody Cammacho of Chicago, IL, served as Army specialist for four years. He was deployed to Iraq from March 2003 to March, 2004, and was honorably discharged in October, 2004. Stacy Bannerman of Kent, WA, whose husband in the Washington National Guard served an extended tour of duty in Iraq. A “stop loss” order forced him to serve in Iraq eight months past his 20-year commitment, which ended in June 2004. Karen Meredith of Mountain View, CA, whose son, 1st Lt Kenneth Ballard, fourth generation Army, was killed in action in Najaf, Iraq on May 30, 2004. Sheri Glover of Houston, TX, whose 19 year old daughter who has completed Active Duty Service in the US Army and is currently in the Individual Ready Reserve and eligible for call back. Her son-in-law serves in the Army and is currently serving in Iraq. Sherry is active in Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary and holds the position of junior vice commander of unit 9 in Houston.

Local co-organizers for the event are Fox Valley Citizens for Peace and Justice, Kane County Democrats, Aurora Township Democrats, Greater Aurora Peace and Justice, Illinois NOW, and Clint Raulsten from the Laesch for Congress campaign.

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