**This year’s Huntington Awareness Day Unity in the Community Parade and Fair will honor local leaders.**

The eighth annual Huntington Awareness Day Unity in the Community Parade & Fair kicks off this weekend, and will recognize several community leaders.

It’s all slated to begin Saturday, 11 a.m. with a parade through Huntington.

Vehicles participating in the parade will leave from Huntington High School (188 Oakwood Road), while walking groups will leave from Jefferson Elementary School (253 Oakwood Road).

The parade will head south to the festival grounds at Stimson Middle School (401 Oakwood Road).

“We think it’s going to be phenomenal,” said Dolores Thompson, Huntington Awareness co-chair with South Huntington School District Superintendent David Bennardo.

Thompson added, “I’m delighted to partner with South Huntington School District and to have more school participate in this year’s event.”

Along with South Huntington, the Elwood, Harborfields and Huntington school districts will be participating, Thompson said.

There will be seven honorees this year: Suffolk Police Officer Claudia Delgado will be honored for “Excellence in Public Service;” Mohammad Esmaels, owner of Embroidme, for “Excellence in Business Leadership;” Rev. Larry Jennings, of Huntington-based Bethel AME, for “Excellence in Community Leadership;” former longtime South Huntington school board President Jim Kaden for “Excellence in Public Education Service;” Huntington high schooler Emily Andrea Mirón for “Excellence in Student Leadership;” and both Rabbi Jeffrey Clopper, of Huntington-based Temple Beth El, and Rev. Bernadette Watkins, a Christian leader and activist, for “Excellence in Community Partnership.”

The annual Unity Fair will include live music, food and fun for all ages. It’s slated to run through 5 p.m.

-WROBLEWSKI