Cultural Affairs Minister Dale Butler announced the theme for this year's Heritage Month and Bermuda Day parade - “Bermuda Roots: Who we are, yesterday, today and tomorrow”.

M. Butler described the theme as “inclusive” - “one that takes into account Bermuda's ever-changing population (and) is representative of a diversity of races, religions and cultures”.

Mr. Butler encouraged clubs, organisations and merchants to use the theme to highlight events and to sell products by focusing on it in window displays and posters during the month of May.

“As you know, Heritage Month, the month of May, is designed to allow the community to come together to focus on our history, to celebrate our culture, our music, our food and everything that makes us Bermudian.

“It's a time when we can set aside our differences in religion, politics or race to consciously appreciate our diversity and our uniqueness and to reflect on our many blessings - our roots,” he said.

Mr. Butler said he is hoping for at least 20 floats in the parade this year and he hopes to recruit more businesses as entrants.

He encouraged people to get out their “volunteer spirit” and help reach the goal of 20 floats for this year's parade.

Prizes can also be won in certain categories, winning a trophy “develops a lot of pride,” said Mr. Butler.

For those new to float building, Mr. Butler said a new how-to book will soon be published and a float building workshop will also be shown on television.

The parade will take place on Monday, May 24. It starts at 1 p.m. from Par-La-Ville Road.

The parade will flow down towards Front Street and continue on to Court Street, then along Cavendish Road to Montpelier Road and will finish at the North Field of the National Stadium.

Mr. Butler said the end point of the route at the National Stadium will increase national pride.

“Our extraordinary Island home has a rich history and like the symbolic Bermuda onion, we have many layers,” he said. “Indeed, the people of Bermuda have many roots to celebrate.”