Chrysler Group LLC Brings Celebrities and More than 25 Hot Rides to the 80th McDonald's Thanksgiving Day Parade

CHICAGO, Nov. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- While the turkeys are being stuffed on Thanksgiving Day, Chrysler Group vehicles will transport celebrities, dignitaries, floats and even Santa down State Street as part of the 80TH McDonald's® Thanksgiving Parade in downtown Chicago - Thursday, November 28, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. (CST).  Chrysler Group will also showcase its celebrity partners and media drivers in addition to providing the horsepower for the parade.

The "Ram Weekend Workbench" host Ryan Salzwedel, will be enjoy the parade from the back of the Ram 1500 pick-up truck used to tackle his weekend projects. In addition, hot off the announcement of his new full-time role hosting WGN's "Chicago's Best," Elliott Bambrough will be introduced to the Chicago audience in the back of a Jeep® Wrangler.

At a much slower speed than he's accustomed, the 2014 SRT Viper GTS will be driven by the Chrysler Group's SRT Motorsports Team driver Kuno Wittmer. Wittmer was part of the SRT Motorsports team that competed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and won at Road America this year.

"Getting the opportunity to share in this time-honored Thanksgiving Day tradition is a real privilege for the Chrysler Group," said Gualberto Ranieri, Chrysler Group Vice President of Communications.   "We are especially excited to see Santa increase the power  and fuel economy of his ride from eight reindeer to the HEMI® V-8 with an eight-speed transmission in the new 2014 Dodge Durango."

Remaining floats and dignitaries will be driven by many automotive journalists from the Midwest as well as Chrysler Group employees from the nearby Belvidere (Ill.) Assembly Plant, which manufactures the Dodge Dart, Jeep Compass and Jeep Patriot.

Chrysler Group is the official automotive sponsor of the McDonald's Thanksgiving Day Parade in Chicago, providing 27 vehicles to support the parade and its organizers.  The award-winning all-new 2013 Ram 1500 pickup trucks, Dodge Durango and Jeep® Grand Cherokee will use their class-leading towing capabilities to pull the many floats featured in the parade.  In addition, parade celebrities and dignitaries will enjoy the view of State Street from the back of Chrysler 200 convertibles, Fiat 500 cabrios and Jeep Wranglers.

In addition, Chrysler Group will also have an official parade entry featuring one vehicle from each of the company's six brands:  the all-new four-door Fiat 500L, the all-new Jeep Cherokee, the Illinois-built Dodge Dart, the award-winning Ram 1500, Chrysler 300 and the 2014 SRT Viper GTS in adrenaline red.

For those not in Chicago, the parade is broadcast, in its entirety, live for three hours on WGN 9 Chicago and WGN America.  The 2013 McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade takes place live on State Street between Congress Parkway and Randolph Street in downtown Chicago on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 28 from 8 to 11 a.m. (CST).

About RAM Weekend Workbench
Weekend Workbench is teaching you what you need to know about DIY home repair and improvement in Chicago.  Every week Ryan Salzwedel will learn how to complete DIY projects ranging from easy maintenance to major home repairs and upgrades like hanging a chandelier or refinishing your kitchen cabinets. Join us every Sunday at 11am on WGN-TV and every day on CLTV.

About Chicago's Best
Chicago's Best launched on WGN-TV in April of 2010 and has profiled over 500 different restaurants from Northwest Indiana to the farthest northern suburbs of Chicago. Viewers can use an interactive map at chicagosbesttv.com to find the addresses and watch video reviews of featured restaurants. The Chicago's Best iPhone app features video clips from featured restaurants and the ability to nominate your own favorite spot for possible inclusion in the show.

Chicago's Best airs weekly on WGN-TV Sunday nights at 10pm. Encore episodes air multiple times during the week on CLTV. Chicago's Best is produced by Oak Brook Productions.

About Chicago Festival Association
The Chicago Festival Association is a unique organization with the mission of producing community events that positively impact the people of the city of Chicago, its guests and visitors.  With a full-time staff of three, augmented by seasonal assistants and over a thousand of hard-working volunteers, the Chicago Festival Association strives to ensure the best in free family-entertainment for the thousands of Chicagoans on the Parade route and those viewing the national broadcast.

The McDonald's ® Thanksgiving Parade takes place rain or shine, Thursday, November 28, from 8 to 11 a.m., on State Street, in Chicago.  For more information about the McDonald's® Thanksgiving Parade, visit Chicago Festival Association online at www.chicagofestivals.org.

SOURCE Chrysler Group LLC