4th of July Parade Grand Marshals Announced

The City of Elgin's 4th of July Parade - Presented by Sherman Health and the 4th of July Parade Committee announced today its 2012 Parade Grand Marshals will be the Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois.

To celebrate their centennial anniversary, the Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois CEO, Vicki Wright, will serve as the official ambassador She will ride in a beautiful powder blue Cadillac, courtesy of Elgin resident Richard Bennett, and will be joined by an Elgin area high school student who will be receiving her Gold Award - the highest award a Girl Scout can earn for achievement in community service. Following right behind the Grand Marshal vehicle will be the Girl Scouts Color Guard and dozens of scouts of all ages.

“The 4th of July Parade Committee is privileged to have these wonderful young ladies representing Elgin as our ambassadors for the 2012 Parade,” said DNA Promotions Coordinator Jason Pawlowski.

Girl Scouts Founder, Juliette Gordon Low, organized the first Girl Scout troop on March 12, 1912 in Savannah, Georgia. Since then, for 100 years, Girl Scouts has been building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Today, there are 3.2 million Girl Scouts. More than 59 million American women enjoyed Girl Scouting during their childhood and that number continues to grow as Girl Scouts continues to inspire, challenge, and empower girls everywhere.

The 2012 City of Elgin 4th of July Parade – Presented by Sherman Health steps off Wednesday, July 4 at 9AM at Slade and Douglas Avenues and ending at Highland and Douglas Avenues. The theme of this year’s parade is “Red, White and Food” – a celebration of Elgin’s great tastes and unique flavors.

Nearly 100 parade units are expected to participate in this summertime tradition, which typically draws more than 15,000 spectators annually to downtown Elgin.

The 2012 City of Elgin 4th of July Parade is presented by Sherman Health. Additional parade sponsors include Alexian Brothers Health System, Armida & Joe Dominguez, BMO Harris Bank, Danny's Pizza, Elgin Community College, Lamp Incorporated, Payday Loan Store, Provena Saint Joseph Hospital, Psychosis Haunted House, Spring Hill Gymnastics, Waste Management and Woody Buick.