Every year, several weeks before the annual Tucson Rodeo Parade, the Grand Marshal is named to host the parade.
For 2024, the Tucson Rodeo Parade Committee has chosen Louise Thomas, founder of Angel Charity for Children, Inc. as its 2024 Rodeo Parade Grand Marshal.
Louise is an everyday hero, an “Angel” who turned a
personal tragedy into a cause that has positively impacted the lives of
more than a million children throughout Pima County,
Arizona.
The family tragedy was the loss of her 9-year-old
son Michael to lymphoma in 1979. From her personal grief, Louise has
brought hope for a better life for the children in our community. Since
Angel Charity was founded in 1983, the all-volunteer organization she
spearheaded has touched more than 1 million children, 129 nonprofit
children’s agency
projects, and raised more than $31 million to improve lives of children in Pima County, Arizona.
In 1982, she was asked to join the board of
directors of the Ronald McDonald House and develop a plan to pay off the
property’s mortgage. Facing the challenge full throttle, she
and co-founder/vice chair, the late Jane Loew Sharples, started Angel Charity for Children.
With Louise’s leadership over 41 years, hundreds
of Angel volunteers have annually raised between $750,000 to $1,000,000
to fund nonprofits serving children’s needs by funding brick and mortar
projects to build or renovate facilities, retiring mortgages, social
services, health care, media research, education, and the arts.
Her inspiration to help others also launched an
endowed chair in pediatric cancer research and inspired the launch of
another nonprofit organization called PANDA (People Acting
Now Discover Answers) in Phoenix, Arizona. PANDA has raised over $26
million for the Steele Children’s Research Center at the University of
Arizona.
The Tucson Rodeo Parade Committee recognizes
Louise’s dedication and charitable efforts for Southern Arizona’s
children and is proud to honor her as the 2024 Parade Grand
Marshal.
About the Tucson Rodeo Parade and Committee
The Tucson Rodeo Parade Committee, Inc. is a
non-profit organization that plans and organizes the annual Tucson Rodeo
Parade and operates the Western Wagon and History Museum, a collection
of horse-drawn vehicles and Western memorabilia. The 2024 parade will be
on February 22, 2024 at 9 a.m.
Jessica Cox Grand Marshal for the 98th
Tucson Rodeo Parade 2023
Jessica Cox is a native Arizonan, born in Sierra
Vista. She is a University of Arizona
graduate who holds several black belts in Taekwondo, is a licensed pilot,
author, motivational speaker, and a Guinness World Record Holder. She created a foundation to advocate for
children with disabilities and has been named 2022 Woman of the Year by the
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 40 Under 40 Awards. And she has accomplished all this after being
born without arms. Continue reading about Jessica Cox.
Jeannette Mare: The Grand MarshaI for the 2017 Tucson Rodeo Parade
Jeannette
Mare was born in South Africa and immigrated to the United States when
she was just a toddler. Her family moved to Tucson 40 years ago when her
dad, a research veterinarian, accepted a faculty position at the
University of Arizona. She became involved with 4-H, focusing on goats,
market lambs, and breeding ewes. Continue reading about Jeannette Mare.
Chandler Warden 2016 Grand Marshal
The Grand Marshal
for the 2016 Tucson Rodeo Parade, Chandler Warden, is a transplanted
Californian who learned a love for Southern Arizona attending summer
camps at Tanque Verde Guest Ranch. The new 2017 Tucson Rodeo Grand
Marshal will be announced in January 2017. Continue reading about Chandler Warden.
KOLD Dan Marries named 2014 Rodeo Parade Grand Marshal
The Grand Marshal for the 2014 Tucson
Rodeo Parade was Tucson KOLD-TV new anchor Dan Marries. Dan is a
self-proclaimed “wanna-be” cowboy and it’s apparent every year during
the Tucson Rodeo Parade and Rodeo. Read about Dan Marries and other Rodeo Parade Grand Marshals.
Giffords, Kelly honored as 2013 Grand Marshals
Former
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband and former astronaut
Mark Kelly, have been chosen as the Grand Marshals for the 88th Tucson
Rodeo Parade.
They are honored for their community service to southern Arizona and the nation.
"Gabby," as she's affectionately known, is a native Tucsonan,
graduating from University High School before graduating from Scripps
College in California and earning a Master's Degree in Regional Planning
from Cornell University.
She worked as an associate for regional
economic development at Price Waterhouse in New York before becoming
president and CEO of the family business, El Campo Tire Warehouses, a
local auto service business.
Her political career began with an election to the Arizona
House of Representatives in 2000. In 2002, she became the youngest woman
to be elected to the Arizona State Senate. In 2003, she was named the
Arizona Family Literacy's Outstanding Legislator, and in 2004 was named
Legislator of the Year by the Mental Health Association of Arizona.
She was re-elected Senator in 2004, but resigned that position
in 2005 to begin her campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives. In
2006, she became the third woman in Arizona history to be elected to the
U.S. Congress representing US. District 8, and was re-elected in 2008
and 2010.
She was an advocate for comprehensive immigration reform that
included a secure border, increasing Border Patrol Agents and a guest
worker program. She was also a staunch supporter of the military and
increasing the minimum wage. In February 2010, Congresswoman Giffords
honored the Tucson Rodeo Parade with an official commendation on the
Congressional Record for its 85 years of service to the Tucson and
Arizona community.
In January 2011 she was wounded in an assassination attempt,
and resigned from Congress in January 2012 to focus on her recovery.
Mark Kelly is a retired US. astronaut and former Navy Captain
and naval aviator who flew combat missions in the Gulf War. Kelly was
selected to become a NASA Space Shuttle pilot in 1996 and piloted the
shuttle in 2001 and 2006, and commanded shuttle missions in 2008 and
2011, the latter being his final mission and the final flight of the
Space Shuttle Endeavour. During this mission, he received a call and
papal blessing from Pope Benedict XVI; the first such call from a Pope
to astronauts during a mission.
Gabby and Mark Kelly married in 2007. After the Tucson
shooting, they were thrust into the media spotlight and he has become a
spokesman on what constitutes acceptable civil discourse. They have
penned a memoir about their individual and shared experiences after the
shooting titled Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope. They have recently
launched an initiative called Americans for Responsible Solutions,
calling for changes in laws to require responsible gun ownership and
reduce gun violence.
The Tucson Rodeo Parade Committee is proud to honor Gabrielle
Giffords and Mark Kelley as Grand Marshals for their history of national
and local community service, and their legacy of hope, strength and
love.
2010 Big Jim Griffith
Teacher, founder, anthropologist,
author, story teller, award-winning musician, and folklorist all
describe the 2010 Tucson Rodeo Parade Grand Marshal, James “Big Jim” Griffith.
For over four decades Big Jim has studied folkways and religious expression throughout the United States-Mexico border region.
The Legends and Treasures of the Santa Catalina Mountains
Discover the forgotten
history and legends of the Catalina Mountains– the lost Iron Door Mine,
the lost city and the lost mission; the history of Oracle and Buffalo
Bill Cody's gold mines in the Catalinas. Copies available at Tucson
Rodeo Museum. By local Tucson author Robert Zucker.
Read sample chapters, download FREE PDF and order online: Treasures of the Santa Catalina Mountains.