New York City's 70th Annual Columbus Day Parade Expects Record Numbers Along Fifth Avenue

NEW YORK, Oct. 13, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The 70^th Annual Columbus Day Parade, taking place today, is expected to have a record number of participants marching up Fifth Avenue with over 130 groups, 30 bands, 25 floats, dance troupes and entertainers. More than one million revelers will line the Parade route as Fifth Avenue turns into a fast-moving sea of red, white and green festivities led by Maserati's exotic models, including the 1953 Maserati Factory Face Team Trailer, the 1953 AGGCS, 1955 A6G54, 1960 5000 GT, the 1970 Ghibli Spyder, the 2014 GranTurismo, 2014 Quatraporte and 2014 Ghibili. Organized by the Columbus Citizens Foundation and presented by the Conair Corporation, the Columbus Day Parade is the world's largest celebration of Italian-American heritage and culture.

Prominent broadcast journalist, Maria Bartiromo and Actor, Joe Piscopo will serve as Masters of Ceremonies as Parade participants are led by Grand Marshal Frank Bisignano to a melting pot of over one million viewers.  The Parade runs up Fifth Avenue, from 47^th to 72nd Street from 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM. It will be broadcast live on Channel 7 WABC-TV from noon until 3:00 PM.

This year marks a first for many red-carpet performers of traditional Italian and Italian-American music and dance, street performers, historical and contemporary floats, and national and international dignitaries. Highlights include: Jena Irene, former American Idol performer, The Harlem Globetrotters, The West Point Marching Band, Italian Fairy performer Simona Rodano, Deanna DellaCioppa from America's Got Talent, Michael Amante, The Nunziata Brothers, Acclaimed Tenor, Michael Fabiano and many more.

The Columbus Day Parade is made possible by the work of the Columbus Citizens Foundation who assemble hundreds of volunteers to help organize it and enlist more than 20 city agencies to support its efforts both in preparations and the many logistics involved.  It was first started in 1929 when New York City businessman and Italian immigrant Generoso Pope led a parade from East Harlem down to Columbus Circle. The parade celebrated Christopher Columbus's explorations and the achievements and contributions of Italian-Americans to the landscape of New York and the United States. Today it is a celebration of Italian American culture that is widely attended by people from all over the world.

The 2014 Columbus Day Parade will include Honorees Frank D'Amelio, Executive Vice President, Business Operations & Chief Financial Officer of Pfizer, Barbara and Richard Naclerio, philanthropic members of the Foundation since 1996 and a Public Service Lifetime Achievement Award for Former Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly. All honorees will ride up Fifth Avenue in the Maserati exotic cars, noted for their Italian craftsmanship and joining the Columbus Celebration as part of the company's 100^th year anniversary.

Fundraising for Scholarships
The Columbus Day Parade raises funds through sponsorships for the Columbus Citizens Foundation's Scholarship Fund.  The Foundation raises millions of dollars to support the education of Italian-American students who have the drive to succeed in school and beyond, but not the means to reach their potential. The scholarship programs grew out of the Foundation's desire to improve the lives of Italians and Italian-Americans and offer educational opportunities for hundreds of deserving students.

The Columbus Celebration Annual Gala Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel held on Saturday, October 11, 2014, helped raise millions of dollars to support the Foundation's Scholarship Fund.  

About the Columbus Citizens Foundation
The Columbus Citizens Foundation is a non-profit organization in New York City committed to fostering an appreciation of Italian-American heritage and achievement. The Foundation, through a broad range of philanthropic and cultural activities, provides opportunities for advancement to deserving Italian-American students through various scholarship and grant programs. In the coming school year, the Foundation is providing over $2 million in scholarship assistance to over 500 students. In 2013, the Foundation donated $256,000 to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, which supports American military personnel and their families, bringing its donations in support of our troops to over $750,000, and it was a lead partner in the reinstatement of the Advanced Placement Program in Italian Language and Culture with a donation of $500,000. The Foundation organizes New York City's annual Columbus Celebration and Columbus Day Parade, which has been held under the auspices of the Foundation since 1944.

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Event: Columbus Day Parade
Location: Fifth Ave. from 47th – 72nd Streets
Date: Monday, October 13, 2014
Hours: 11:30 AM – 3:00 PM
Broadcast: WABC-TV, Noon – 3:00 PM
Press Contact: Faith Paris, 917.710.2677, [email protected]  

SOURCE Columbus Citizens Foundation