Parade will be biggest yet

INFOGRAPHIC
How to get there;
where to park;
parade route

Nearly 200 participants — children on floats, dignitaries in convertibles and more than a dozen marching bands — will make their way south along Race Street on Monday from Findlay Market prior to the Reds home opener against Milwaukee.

“We probably could have had 300 participants, but we had to have the parade end before the game starts,” says Neil Luken, who heads the Findlay Market Parade committee.

The parade is so big that the usual 11 a.m. starting time was moved up to 10.

Authorities are urging people to stake out their parade route seats early to avoid any traffic hassles.

Parade grand marshals will be Whitney Ramos, 6, of Covington and Robbie Schlensker, 12, of Cincinnati. The two were chosen because of the efforts of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which seeks to give severely ill children experiences they might not otherwise have.

Whitney suffers from acute lymphocytic leukemia, a malignancy of the red blood cells. Robbie suffers from osteosarcoma, a malignant tumor in his bones.

Also in attendance will be country singer Jo Dee Messina, courtesy of WUBE-FM (B105).

Not even the possibility of rain can dampen the enthusiasm of Tim Robinson, who teaches and coordinates float design for City Art, a nonprofit after-school program for kids 6-18. His group will hold the 27th position in the parade.

“This will be our fifth year,” Mr. Robinson says. “The kids are a little bit more excited because of Ken Griffey Jr. — it suddenly takes on a whole new meaning. It's going to be great fun.” City Art students and teachers have worked on their parade entry since January. Last week was devoted to constructing the finishing touch — a 6-foot papier-mache hitter a la Junior.

The Wegman Belgian draft horses from Green Township will lead the parade with the original Tally-Ho Wagon. It's been a part of Opening Day since 1919, when the wagon carried the Red Stockings base ball team through the streets to Crosley Field.

The last float will be devoted to the reconstruction of the Tyler-Davidson Fountain.

Dedicated in 1871, the downtown landmark had seriously corroded inside and was weather-beaten. A $2.2 million restoration project is almost complete, and the work will be unveiled May 6.

“I think our position is great,” says John Schott of the Santangelo agency, a private firm hired to produce the unveiling ceremony on Fountain Square. “We'll be the last thing on the minds of the people at the parade.”

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