Calgary – A group of everyday heroes – ordinary people achieving extraordinary things – will lead the 2010 Calgary Stampede Parade, which opens The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, Friday, July 9.
Leading the way as Parade Marshals are Jet and Cord McCoy, the “gentlemen cowboys” who captivated Calgarians and viewers worldwide this spring on the popular CBS show “The Amazing Race.” The ranchers from Oklahoma inspired viewers with their down-to-earth approach.
“In an era of professional celebrities – many of whom don’t have the character worthy of all the public and media attention – to see these two young men in action was a reminder that cowboy ethics never go out of fashion,” said Dr. David Chalack, president and chairman of the board, Calgary Stampede. “The McCoy brothers were true to their values to the very end – and they never parted with their coveted cowboy hats.”
Chalack noted it has been 11 years since the Stampede last saluted a working cowboy as Parade Marshal and only the sixth time in its history.
“The 10 days of Stampede is when regular people become cowboys and cowboys become heroes,” said Chalack. “Putting on a cowboy hat and cowboy boots has a magical effect: we all become friendlier, we walk taller and we step away from our regular routines to have some fun. This personal transformation is what makes the Calgary Stampede so unique and so much fun for the entire community and keeps bringing people back from around the world.”
Also participating as special guests in the Stampede Parade will be the local Olympic heroes who inspired the nation in February. “No Canadian will ever forget the 16 days of the Vancouver Olympics when our country stood shoulder-to-shoulder to say I am a proud to be a Canadian,” said Chalack.
All the medalists from the Calgary area have been invited to participate in the Parade.
“I’m proud of the role we played in the success that Canada enjoyed at the Vancouver Olympics,” says Jon Montgomery, who captured a gold medal in men’s skeleton and represented the athletes at the Stampede news conference along with Kristina Groves, silver and bronze medalist in ladies speed skating.
The third group of heroes to be saluted at this year’s Parade is the men and women who proudly serve in the Calgary Police Service (CPS) and the Calgary Fire Department (CFD). This year, both the CPS and CFD are celebrating their 125
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year of serving the citizens of Calgary. Hundreds of Calgary’s finest firefighters and police officers will play a significant role in the parade, led by Police Chief Rick Hanson and Fire Chief Bruce Burrell on horseback.
“The Stampede will not only celebrate the police officers and firefighters during the parade, we have also declared Friday, July 9 as ‘Police and Fire Day’ at the Stampede,” says Chalack. “These officers and firefighters put their lives on the line to protect Calgarians, and we’re proud to pay tribute to them.” The CFD and CPS will have several entries in the parade including honour guards from both services.
The Calgary Stampede takes place July 9-18, 2010 and will see more value for the entire family, with the addition of events like the Rock & Roll Ice Show, the Cowboy Up Challenge and Draft Horse Town, just to mention a few.
“This year, more than ever, we’re putting ‘families first,’” said Chalack. “We have increased our seating capacity for families by 40 percent -- that’s 80,000 more seats for family shows. And we are introducing many new features designed specifically for families.”
For complete details on this year’s Stampede, please refer to the Daily Event Planner, recently distributed throughout the city of Calgary, or go online to www.calgarystampede.com for a comprehensive listing of events and displays.
Watch the whole announcement here.
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For more information, please contact:
Doug Fraser
Media Relations Manager
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403.261.0242
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403.585.3376
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403.261.0190
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dfraser@calgarystampede.com
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