UPDATED: 2:30 p.m.

Tewksbury will remember the lives of the  men and women who have served their nation as members of the armed forces with its annual Memorial Day Ceremony and Parade, Monday, May 30.

The activities will begin at 12:45 p.m. with ceremonies of remembrance at the Tewksbury Cemetery on East Street. A parade will begin in the center of town at 2 p.m.

The Memorial Day events are sponsored by the Friends of the Patriotic Activities Committee and funded through donations from individuals and businesses in the community.

The guest speaker for the event is  Chief Master Sergeant Laura Noel, a vocalist and the band manager of the United States Air Force Band of Liberty,  and interim Electronic Systems Center Command Chief, at Hanscom Air Force Base.

The committee also announced this week that U.S. Sen. Scott Brown and Congresswoman Niki Tsongas will be in attendance, participating in Tewksbury's Memorial Day activities.

Sen. Brown, is a 31-year member of the Massachusetts Army National Guard and currently holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps. Rep. Tsongas, serves on the House Armed Services Committee.

“Today, more than ever, we ask more from the men and women of our armed forces and their families," said Brown. "I look forward to attending the Memorial Day events in Tewksbury to thank our service members—both past and present—for their dedicated service to our country. They are our nation’s heroes.”

As part of the parade festivities, non-perishable food items will once again be collected by volunteers all along the parade route for the Tewksbury Food Pantry. Residents are encouraged to bring an item to the parade and hand it to one of the volunteers.