The marketing slogan for The Law Offices of Ron Sholes is “You hurt? We fight.”
Also known as “a law firm of military veterans,” Sholes has added long-term sponsorship of the city’s annual Veterans Day Parade to the firm’s year-round marketing strategy.
“When we entered into the relationship with the city, the goal was to improve and expand it and we’ve shifted a lot of our marketing to the parade. We invest about $75,000 a year on marketing that includes the parade,” said Sholes, a Navy veteran whose father served in the Army.
Sholes and his firm, staffed predominantly with attorneys who are military veterans, first became involved in sponsoring the event several years ago when the city was considering dropping it from the annual schedule, citing the cost for traffic control and security.
“It’s a big event and the city has to put out a lot of resources,” Sholes said.
He and the city recently reached an agreement that will sustain the law firm’s Presenting Sponsor relationship with the parade through 2021.
“It’s important to our attorneys to be involved and help solidify the parade in Jacksonville,” Sholes said.
The parade will begin at 11:01 a.m. Saturday near EverBank Field. The route continues along Bay Street to Newnan Street, then along Independent Drive in front of the Jacksonville Landing. The route ends along Water Street at the Prime Osborn Convention Center.
More than 4,000 people are expected to ride or walk in the parade, including city and military officials, active duty and retired military personnel, veterans groups, high school JROTC units and marching bands.
A restored military truck near the front of the parade will carry the law firm’s banner as well as members of Sholes’ staff, who will be handing out commemorative T-shirts printed for this year’s parade.
“Just about all of our attorneys participate, and we have fun with it,” Sholes said.