Columbus Citizens Foundation is proud to announce that distinguished business executive Michael T. Strianese will serve as Grand Marshal of the 80th Annual Columbus Day Parade and will lead the march up Fifth Avenue this year.
NEW YORK, Sept. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Columbus Citizens Foundation is proud to announce that distinguished business executive Michael T. Strianese will serve as Grand Marshal of the 80th Annual Columbus Day Parade and will lead the march up Fifth Avenue this year.
Mr. Strianese is best known for his tenure as the Chairman and CEO of L3 Technologies, Inc., a global aerospace and national security company. From its inception, he served as the Chief Financial Officer and in 2006, he was appointed CEO and later became Chairman of the Board. He retired in 2018. Born, raised and educated in New York, Mr. Strianese graduated in the Class of 1974 from Xaverian High School and earned his BS in Accounting from St. John's University in Queens, NY. Strianese was chairman of the Aerospace Industries Association and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. His leadership and achievements have earned him many accolades, including the Semper Fidelis Award from the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, as well as the Eisenhower Distinguished Citizen Award from the Army Distaff Foundation. Strianese is known for his philanthropic efforts and he and his family are particularly proud to support our military and their families.
"We are honored to have Michael as this year's Grand Marshal, and to recognize him for both his business and philanthropic contributions," stated Columbus Citizens Foundation President Christopher Loiacono. "We are especially happy to acknowledge an esteemed graduate from Xaverian High School, a school that is well known to the Columbus Citizens Foundation, as we have provided Xaverian students with $1.2 million of support. As a prominent Italian American, we are proud to have Michael lead the parade this fall."
Mr. Strianese commented, "Being named Grand Marshal of the Columbus Day Parade is a tremendous honor. As a New Yorker and Italian-American, I am proud to celebrate our rich heritage and the lasting contributions of those who shaped this great city and our nation."
The annual Columbus Day Parade, the largest celebration of Italian American heritage and culture in the United States will take place on Monday, October 14, 2024, beginning at 11:30 a.m. As Grand Marshal, Strianese, will lead marching bands, floats, and over 100 marching groups up the Fifth Avenue parade route, from 44th Street to 72nd Street. Groups, institutions, and partners from across the United States and Italy will take part in this year's celebration. The parade will be broadcast on ABC-7 from 12 p.m. – 3 p.m.
The parade is organized each year by the Columbus Citizens Foundation. In addition to the Parade, the organization also plans a Gala (Saturday, October 12), to raise scholarship funds and a Wreath-Laying ceremony (Sunday, October 13), paying tribute to the civil servants and first responders who contribute to our community and help keep the city safe. "We are very proud to say that in the past 40 years, we have offered $40 million in scholarships to deserving Italian-American high school, college and graduate students to
support their education dreams," said Lisa Ackerman, CCF's Executive Director.
Last year's Grand Marshal was Beth Paretta, race car driver and founder of Paretta Autosport. Previous Grand Marshals of the New York Columbus Day Parade have included Sophia Loren, Frank Sinatra, Massimo Ferragamo, Lidia Bastianich, Joe DiMaggio, and Mario Andretti.
ABOUT COLUMBUS CITIZENS FOUNDATION:
Columbus Citizens Foundation is a New York City non-profit organization 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. The Foundation organizes New York City's annual Columbus Celebration and Columbus Day Parade, which has celebrated Italian-American Heritage on New York's Fifth Avenue since 1929. For more information contact [email protected].
Media Contact
Amy Briskin, Columbus Citizens Foundation, 917-734-1639, [email protected], http://www.ColumbusCitizens.org
SOURCE Columbus Citizens Foundation
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