TORONTO, Nov. 12, 2013 /CNW/ - Olympic gold medalist Katie Taylor will be the Grand Marshal for the 2014 St. Patrick's Day Parade. The 27-year-old Irish boxer is the current Irish, European, World and Olympic Champion. It was announced today that she will be in Toronto to participate in 2014 St. Patrick's Day festivities, including the 27th annual parade on Sunday, March 16.
Taylor was the flag bearer for Ireland during the Opening Ceremonies at the 2012 London Olympics where she went on to win a gold medal. She'll take on a similar role in Toronto next March when she leads the St. Patrick's Day Parade along the downtown route.
"We are delighted to have a world class athlete like Katie be part of our St. Patrick's Day celebrations," said Alan Louthe, the chairman of the Toronto St. Patrick's Parade Society. "We're looking forward to giving her a taste of Toronto and the diversity that makes this city great!"
In addition to celebrating Irish culture, the Toronto St. Patrick's Day Parade showcases Toronto's multiculturalism with floats from a variety of cultural groups. Last year the parade featured 70 marching sections and 28 bands. The 2014 parade promises to be even bigger with new additions such as an Olympic gold medalist Grand Marshal, dancers from the Native Canadian Centre and marchers from Scouts Canada.
Also new this year is a "reunion of the Murphy Clan," which invites anyone with the last name Murphy to march in a section of the parade and enjoy the weekend festivities. Any "Murphy" interested in participating should e-mail [email protected] for further details.
The 27th annual Toronto St. Patrick's Day Parade happens Sunday, March 16, 2014. It will be broadcast live on CP24.
About Toronto St. Patrick's Day Parade
The Toronto St. Patrick's Day Parade is a celebration of St. Patrick, Ireland and Canada, which incorporates Toronto's various cultural groups. The annual parade draws approximately 500,000 spectators to the parade route. The parade has been organized by the Toronto St. Patrick's Parade Society (SPPS) since 1988. The 2014 Toronto St. Patrick's Day Parade will begin at 12:00 noon on Sunday, March 16, 2014 with the procession starting from Bloor and St. George (near old U of T Varsity Stadium). The Parade will continue along Bloor Street down Yonge and finish on Queen Street at Nathan Philips Square.
Image with caption: "Olympic gold medalist Katie Taylor will be the Grand Marshal for the 2014 Toronto St. Patrick's Day Parade. The 27-year-old Irish boxer is the current Irish, European, World and Olympic Champion. (CNW Group/St. Patrick's Parade Society)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20131112_C6235_PHOTO_EN_33219.jpg
SOURCE: St. Patrick's Parade Society
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