POMONA CHRISTMAS PARADE COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES THREE POLICE OFFICERS AS GRAND MARSHALS

 

 

POMONA, Calif. – The Downtown Pomona Owners Association (D.P.O.A.), organizer of the Pomona Christmas Parade, is pleased to announce that this year’s Parade Grand Marshals will be Pomona Police Officers Rolando Betancourt and Travis Johnson, and Sergeant Christian Hsu, all of whom recently received Lifesaving Valor medals from the Pomona Police Department.

The 2013 Pomona Christmas parade takes place at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, rain or shine, along Second Street in downtown Pomona. Participants will march west on 2^nd Street, then south down Park Avenue, and will finish at Pomona City Hall, where the festivities will continue throughout the day with “Holiday at the Plaza.”

This year’s parade theme, “125 Years of Christmas in Pomona,” celebrates the city’s 125^th birthday. The parade committee, which consists of local community members, also plans to honor individuals who have worked tirelessly to make a difference in Pomona and have performed extraordinary deeds over past years. A nomination form, due by October 31, 2013, is available online (www.downtownpomona.org) so residents can suggest deserving individuals. The chosen honorees will be featured as community heroes in the Pomona Christmas Parade.

The officers who will serve as grand marshals this year recently were awarded Lifesaving Valor medals for rescuing an unconscious man from a burning vehicle. The three encountered a burning truck on May 22, 2013, in Pomona, and tried to use fire extinguishers to extinguish the blaze, but were unsuccessful. Fearing someone might be trapped inside the cab of the truck, Officer Betancourt reached inside, despite not being able to see anything but smoke, and with the assistance of Officer Johnson pulled the driver to safety, while Sergeant Hsu continued to use the fire extinguisher.  

With more than 100 entrants and 2,000 participants expected from all areas of the city and beyond, Pomona’s Christmas Parade truly embraces the community spirit of Christmas. Marching bands, equestrians, car clubs, floats, JROTC groups, girl scouts, boy scouts, sporting leagues, school clubs and more all have their chance to shine in the parade.

Don’t miss it. Plan now to take part in this local tradition. Applications to participate, sponsorship, and community hero nomination forms are now being accepted. Forms are online at www.downtownpomona.org.