Knights and Aces players to be in Summerlin’s virtual parade

Vegas Golden Knights Nate Schmidt and Alec Martinez with his dog, Hank, and A’ja Wilson from the Las Vegas Aces along with other celebrities and community leaders will share personal messages of encouragement and strength to kick off the 26th annual and first-ever virtual Summerlin Council Patriotic Parade. Parade enthusiasts throughout Las Vegas and beyond are encouraged to visit summerlinpatrioticparade.com to watch the premiere at 9 a.m. on July 4.

According to Lezlie Barnson-DeNardin, executive director of The Summerlin Council, the parade will deliver the same small-town spirit and big-city pageantry, hallmarks of the annual event, in a virtual format.

In addition to celebrity messages, the online parade includes musical performances from local groups and individuals; user-generated videos and photos from local families; highlights of the parade’s most popular entries from previous years; and a special “Community Cheers Parade” segment saluting local community heroes including first-responders, health care workers and teachers.

Among the participants of the “Community Cheers Parade” are the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, doctors and nurses from Summerlin Hospital Medical Center and faculty and staff representing several Clark County School District schools located in Summerlin.

“The streamed Patriotic Parade provides an opportunity for our community to connect and celebrate the 244th birthday of our country in an innovative, fun and safe way,” Barnson-DeNardin said. “Those who tune in will see some of their all-time favorites from years past along with brand new content created in today’s unique environment. As we worked to assemble this virtual parade, we were moved again and again by the kindness and understanding of our wonderful community as individuals, businesses and groups stepped up to help make this year’s parade as special and memorable as the 25 that came before it.”

The Summerlin Council, the nonprofit arm of the Summerlin Community Association dedicated to the social, educational and recreational enrichment of residents, will post updates and detailed information about how to tune in to the virtual parade at summerlinpatrioticparade.com.

The council encourages everyone to check the site regularly leading up to the parade. Title sponsor is The Howard Hughes Corp./Summerlin. Premier Sponsor is Centralized Security Services.