For release: Contact: William Epstein Sunday, January 19, 2003 (717) 346-3300 Lisette Bralow (215) 683-3468
Parade by 30 Marching Bands And 5,500 Marchers To Kick Off Inaugural Celebration
Harrisburg – Marching bands, New Year’s Day string bands, drill teams, cheerleaders and favorite sports mascots from across Pennsylvania will lead more than 5,500 paraders to launch the Inaugural festivities on Tuesday, January 21st when Governor-elect Ed Rendell takes the oath of office.
Inaugural officials said that each of the state’s 67 counties will be represented in the Inaugural Parade. The parade will step off at 12:45 pm from 5th and Walnut Streets in downtown Harrisburg.
The celebration will wind its way around the State Capitol grounds. The Commonwealth’s 45th Governor and his wife, Midge, will join the head of the march enroute and lead it to the reviewing stand on Commonwealth Ave. After marching to the reviewing stand the Rendells will join the dignitaries and crowd already seated to review the parade as it begins its pass of the reviewing stand at 1:30 pm.
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Helping lead the way will be 30 marching bands from across the state, including the Mansfield University Marching Band, from Mansfield in Tioga County, the West Chester University Marching Band, from West Chester in Chester County, 25 high school bands and the 553rd Air Force Band, from Middletown in Dauphin County.
An extra splash of color and sound will be provided by two perennial favorites from Philadelphia’s legendary New Year’s Day Mummers Parade – the Fralinger String Band, winner of this year’s first place award for string bands in the annual competition, and the Ferko String Band, which captured the 2003 Captain’s Award.
The public is invited to view the parade along its route.
After stepping off from 5th and Walnut Sts. the parade will head west along Walnut St., turn right on 3rd St. and head north on 3rd St. across the front of the Capitol, and turn right at North St. to head east along North St. to Commonwealth Av.
The marching order of the parade will be (as of Sunday, Jan. 19, 2003):
PARADE OPENING PRODUCTION: Capitol City Police Honor Guard “Get This Party Started” Jenn Oldfield Dancers and Philadelphia Parade Lead Banner High School for Creative and Performing Willow Grove Air Force Base Personnel Arts Dancers, with Golden Crowne New Years Day Band Lead Honor Guard Willow Grove Air Force Base DIVISION 1 Governor Edward G. Rendell LEAD DIVISION Hon. Marjorie O. Rendell Lt. Governor Katherine Baker Knoll State Police Motorcycle Team motorcycles Reilly Raiders Drum and Bugle Corps South Eastern, PA, w/Raiders Van
2 50 Pennsylvania State Flags Erie County Banner PA National Guard – Ft. Indiantown Carried by: Hemlock Girl Scouts Troop 886 Governor Edward G. Rendell Bus Erie Seawolves mascot Walking American Flag Carried by: Willow Grove Air Force Base McDowell High School Marching personnel Band, Erie, PA
553rd Air Force Marching Band Elk County Banner Carried by: Boy Scout Troop 233 State Police Mounted Honor Guard Elk County Queen and Princess In car DIVISION 2 St. Mary’s High School Student NORTH WEST REGION DIVISION Government with signs
North West Region Lead Banner Forest County Banner Carried by: Mechanicsburg Boy Scouts Carried by: Boy Scout Troop 233 of America Pennsylvania National Guard Pennsylvania Harvest Float Hummer Music: “Prayer of Thanksgiving” and ‘Appalachian Spring” Jefferson County Banner Float Riders: 8 Redland High School Carried by: Boy Scout Troop 233 Color Guard students in flannel shirts and straw hats; Tow Vehicle: PA Punxsutawney Ground Hog Club National Guard Hummer/Harrisburg Post Clearfield County Banner DuBois High School Band Crawford County Banner Carried by: Mechanicsburg Boy Scouts DuBois High School Marching Band of America DuBois, PA
Meadville High School Marching Mercer County Banner Band, Meadville, PA Carried by: Boy Scout Troop 233
Cameron County Banner Pennsylvania National Guard Carried by: Mechanicsburg Boy Scouts Hummer of America Potter County Banner Mountaineer Search and Rescue Carried By: Boy Scout Troop 233 Team and vehicle Northern Potter Schools Drum and Clarion County Banner Bugle Corps Carried by: Hemlock Girl Scouts Troop 886 Venango County Banner Carried By: Oil Heritage Personnel Young Democrats of Clarion University
3 Pick up truck with oul derrick and Heinz Hitch Col. Drake representing Oil Heritage Vision Quest University of Pittsburgh mascot: Panther McKean County Banner Carried By: Bradford High School Band Pittsburgh Fire Pipe Band
Bradford High School Marching Band Pittsburgh City Fire Truck Bradford, Pennsylvania Blair County Banner Warren County Banner Carried by: Girl Scout Troop 886 Carried by: Warren Police Dept. Law Enforcement Explorers Mother of the Slinky Toy Mrs. Betty James in car Warren Police Department Law Enforcement Explorers Post 2312 Altoona Curve Mascot, “Steamer”
DIVISION 3 Delgrasso Park Mascot Float
WEST REGION DIVISION Hoss’s Steak and Seafood
WEST REGION LEAD BANNER Butler County Banner Carried by: Kiski High School Band Carried by: Girl Scout Troop 886 (Lillian Parents Bates group)
Kiski Area Marching Band Butler County Mass Volunteer Fire Vandergrift, PA Department Unit Personnel
Western Pennsylvania Express Float Fayette County Banner Music: “Com’n Round the Mountain” Carried by: Fayette County personnel and FAME Float Riders: Phila. H.S. for the White Water Rafting Tourism Float Creative and Performing Arts Dancers Tow Vehicle: National Guard Fulton County Banner Hummer/Harrisburg Post Carried by: Girl Scout Troop 886 Float Performers: CAPA Dancers Hustontown Fire Department Armstrong County Banner Carried by: Girl Scout Troop 886 (Lillian Beaver County Banner Bates group) Carried by: Ambridge High School Band Kittaning Firemans Band Ambridge High School Marching Allegheny County Banner Band, Ambridge, PA Carried by: Baldwin High School Band Greene County Banner Mayor Tom Murphy, Pittsburgh Carried by: Girl Scout Troop 886
Baldwin High School Marching Band Miss Pennsylvania – Autumn Marisa Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Greene County Float
3 Huntingdon County Banner Washington County Banner Carried by: BSA Cradle of Liberty Carried by: Washington County Veterans Raystown Lake Boat Mayor Anthony L. Colaizzo, Indiana County Banner Canonsburg Carried by: Redland High School Color Guard Cannon-McMillan High School Marching Band Rolling Christmas Tree Canonsburg, PA Redland High School Color Guard prop handlers, 2 outside trees Washington County Veterans National Guard Hummer – Ft. Bedford County Banner Indiantown Carried by Tussey Mountain H.S. Band Westmoreland County Banner Muskets of the Crown reenactment Carried by: Franklin Regional High group -- covered wagon with horses School Band with Bob Regola, Hempfield Township Supervisor Tussey Mountain High School Marching Band, Saxton, PA Greensburg Volunteer Fire Company Band, two vehicles Lawrence County Banner Carried by: BSA Cradle of Liberty Franklin Regional High School Marching Band, Murrysville, PA Mayor Timothy Fulkerson, New Castle DIVISION 4
Neshannock Township Fire CENTRAL REGION DIVISION Department, Truck Company 157 Ariel Command Unit Central Region Lead Banner Carried by: Laborer’s District Council of Somerset County Banner Eastern Pennsylvania Carried by: Carried by: BSA Cradle of Liberty 40’ X 60’ American Flag Carried by: Best Buddies Organization Quecreek Miners In a 1947 Rolls Royce Harrisburg City High School Band Randy Fogle, Mark Popernack Harrisburg, PA
Berlin Fife and Drum Corps Adams County Banner Carried by: BSA Cradle of Liberty Cambria County Banner Carried by: Greater Johnstown High Gettysburg Mayor William E. Troxell School Band and Abe Lincoln
Greater Johnstown High School The Company of Gettysburg Marching Band, Johnstown, PA Historians
Gettysburg Ceremonial Band
3 Apple Queen Lower Dauphin High School In car Marching Band
Franklin County Banner Lebanon County Banner Carried by: BSA Cradle of Liberty Carried by: Girl Scout Troop 1038
Franklin County Farm Bureau and Lebanon County Dairy Royalty Dairy with Tall Cedars Mascot and two convertible cars for Dairy Royalty Lancaster County Banner Carried by: Spanish American Civil Mifflin County Banner Association Carried by: Girl Scout Troop 1038
Mayor Charles Smithgall, Lancaster National Guard Hummer
Spanish American Civil Association Cumberland County Banner Carried by: Girl Scout Troop 1038 Manheim Central High School Marching Band, Manheim, PA Cumberland County Honor Guard
Juniata County Banner Mayor Kirk R. Wilson, Carlisle Carried by: BSA Cradle of Liberty: Carlisle High School Marching Band Pennsylvania National Guard Carlisle, PA Hummer Perry County Banner Central Pennsylvania Home Gazebo Carried by: Girl Scout Troop 1038 Float Music: LIVE 4-H Antique Tractors Float Riders: Mt. Carmel High School Perry County Iron Club State Champion Football Team, Cheerleaders, and pep band Greenwood FFA Tow Vehicle: Pennsylvania National Perry County 4-H Club Guard/Harrisburg Post Horse and Wagon Pep Band on Float Schuylkill County Banner Dauphin County Banner Carried by: Girl Scout Troop 1038 Carried by: Laborer’s District Council of Eastern Pennsylvania Schuylkill County Tall Cedars with Coal Car with county products District Council #21 Local #411 Coal car and personnel Painters Harrisburg Senators mascot Yuengling Beer Brewery Wagon Early 1900 Horse Drawn delivery wagon Liberty Steam Fire Co#1 with riders Berks County Banner Hershey Bears Mascot “Coco” Carried by: Girl Scout Troop 1038 in a convertible car Lenape Nation of Indians Hershey KISS Mobile
3 Berks County Bookmobile Riding the float – 2 Redland High With Berky the Cow School Color Guard members
Reading High School Marching Band Centre County Banner Reading, PA Carried by: Carried by: BSA Cradle of Liberty Snyder County Banner Carried by: Girl Scout Troop 1038 Penn State Nittany Lion
Middlesw0rth Potato Chips Sprint Penn State Cheerleaders Cars Patriots Militant Independent Order Union County Banner Oddfellows Carried by: BSA Cradle of Liberty Columbia County Banner Union County West End Ambulance Carried by: BSA Cradle of Liberty
York County Banner Mayor Charles Coffman, Bloomsburg Carried by: Nine Months of Yorktown Colonial Players (tw0 banner carriers) Knoebels Grove Amusement Resort Float (19’+ tow vehicle) Mayor John Brenner, York Kozmo (mascot) King Knoebel (Lion on float) Nine Months of Yorktown Colonial Players Tioga County Banner Carried by: Mansfield University Band Carpenters Local Union #191 Members Mansfield University Band Mansfield, PA DIVISION 5 Rainbow Riders Riding for the NORTH EAST REGION DIVISION Handicapped Horse Riding Group nine horses NORTH EAST REGION BANNER Carried by: Liberty High School Lehigh County Banner Cheerleaders Carried by: William Allen HS Band parents 50 American Flags Carried by: PA National Guard Bethlehem Police and Fire Department Honor Guard Liberty High School Grenadier Marching Band Mayor Roy Afferbach, Allentown Bethlehem, PA William Allen High School Marching Family Fun in the Poconos Snowman Band, Allentown, PA Family Float Music: LIVE Clinton County Banner Float Riders: Stanky and the Coal Miners Polka Band Mayor Richard Vilello, Lock Haven Tow Vehicle: National Guard Hummer/Harrisburg Post
3 Lock Haven Fire Engine Pumper and Luzerne County Sheriffs Dept. Lock Haven Rescue Vehicle K-9 Search and Rescue vehicle Color Guard, flag carriers, drummers Sullivan County Banner Piper Aviation Museum Carried by: Acrodancers Parents Piper Plane on a flat bed (65’) Sullivan County Acrodancers Carbon County Banner tumblers and dancers Carried by: BSA Cradle of Liberty Susquehanna County Banner Jim Thorpe switchback car on flatbed Carried by: BSA Cradle of Liberty
Lycoming County Banner Blue Stone Truck (65’) with stone Carried by: Williamsport H.S. Band samples
Carl Stotz Historic Trolley (replica) Monroe County Banner with county EMS Vehicle and Banner “DUGOUT” Little League Baseball mascot Bradford County Banner Carried by: Towanda High School Band “RUSTY ROUGHCUT,” Williamsport Cross Cutters mascot Towanda High School Marching Band Towanda, PA Williamsport High School Marching Band, Williamsport, PA Montour County Banner Carried by: Carried by: BSA Cradle of Lackawanna County Banner Liberty Carried by: BSA Cradle of Liberty Iron Heritage Festival Greater Scranton Black Diamonds Representative in car w/ banner and Pipe Band marchers
Scranton/Wilkes Barre Red Barons Wayne County Banner mascot, “The Grump,” on ATV Carried by: BSA Cradle of Liberty
Northampton County Banner Maple City Fife and Drum Corps Carried by: Easton Area H.S. Band Lafayette College mascot Wyoming County Banner Carried by: Wyoming County 4-H club Easton Area High School Band Easton, PA Wyoming County Commissioner Ronald Williams Lehigh Little League All Star Team Players and Coaches Lake Winola Fire Department
Luzerne County Banner Whipple Dance Studio Carried by: Carried by: BSA Cradle of Liberty Wyoming County 4-H Horse Clubs
3 Pike County Banner University of Pennsylvania Quaker Carried by: Delaware Valley School mascot Students Philadelphia University RAM Delaware Valley School District mascot Youth Choir Drexel Dragon mascot DIVISION 6 McGruff the Crime Dog SOUTH EAST REGION DIVISION Captain Sewer Mascot SOUTH EAST REGION LEAD BANNER -- Carried by: Boy Scouts of Tigerman Mascot North Wales Troop 229 Philadelphia Kixx mascot, Rufus Harley, Jazz Bag Piper “Socceroo”
Philadelphia County Banner Philadelphia Dept of Recreation Carried by: Boy Scouts mascot, “Phred the Panda”
Philadelphia Mounted Patrol St. Joseph’s University Hawk mascot Equestrian Unit Hooter, the Temple Owl Fralinger String Band Ferko String Band 27 Original Old Glory Flags Carried by: PA National Guard Buffalo Soldiers Equestrian Unit
15’ X 20’ Betsy Ross Flag Bucks County Banner Carried by: Sea Cadets Carried by: Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts
Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Pennsbury High School Marching Betsy Ross, Leiby Black Carriage Band
15’ X 20’ Bennington Flag Washington Crossing Carried by: Sea Cadets Re-enactors Society Float and Personnel West Powelton Steppers Montgomery County Banner Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders Carried by: Cub Pack 591 and Eagles Pep Band Hatfield Quality Meats Mascot Leiby’s Horse Drawn Trolley American Legion Post 901 Philadelphia Eagles Junior Honor Guard Cheerleaders North Penn High School Marching Philadelphia Eagles Mascot Band “Swoop” with ATV 4th Continental Light Dragoons Philly Phanatic Revolutionary Calvary Group
3 Delaware County Banner Carried by: Cub Pack 591
1948 Antique Fire Truck
Strath Haven High School Marching Band
Keystone Cheerleaders, Delaware County
Chester County Banner Carried by: Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts
Phoenixville High School Marching Band
“Open Spaces and Historic Places,” walking Group with vehicle
Valley Forge Military Academy Regimental Staff, Color Guard, Regimental Band, Company of Cadets, Drum and Bugle Corps (field music), Mounted Color Guard
State Capitol Police Car
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