Nov. 23-Dec. 6, 2015
DeKeveion Glaspie
[email protected]
Marking UCCS’ 50 year anniversary, the university will be the grand marshal in the 31st annual Festival of Lights Parade in downtown Colorado Springs.
The event will be on Saturday, Dec. 5. Chancellor Pamela Shockley-Zalabak, students, alumni, faculty, and staff will march in the parade with a float, pep band and Clyde the mascot starting at 5:45 p.m.
As grand marshal, UCCS will be among the first entries in the parade.
Brad Bayer, executive director of Student Life and Leadership, commented on UCCS’ involvement.
“I think it’s a really honorable thing, a great way for us to show our spirt and who we are. The UCCS line-up is shaping up to be sensational,” he said.
The theme for UCCS’ float will be “Students of Today and Tomorrow.”
It will be decorated with the clock tower and a mountain lion in the background. The float will follow with UCCS students and a UCCS shuttle bus.
The parade has an estimated 60,000 spectators.
Stephen Cucchiara, assistant director of Student Life and Leadership, shared his excitement about the parade.
“I’m looking forward to when we walk down the main street of Tejon and we get to be the meat and potatoes of the people. I look forward to the crowd doing the UCCS chant.”
The goal is to have more than 500 students participate in the parade. Interested students should reach out to [email protected] for more information.
Having UCCS part of the community makes a big impact, said Cucchiara.
“We are a partner of the community so we are partaking in the parade to show the growth of the community and we continue to play that part,” he said.