The streets of downtown will be thriving with celebration Saturday as Baton Rouge’s two championship football teams march in a parade to honor their achievements.
The Parade of Champions will honor both the LSU and Southern University football teams for being national champions of the 2003 college football season.
The parade is being put together by the Mayor’s office, the Downtown Development District and by the chancellor’s offices of both schools, said Davis Rhorer, director of the DDD.
“We worked with both chancellors and the mayor,” Rhorer said. “We thought the parade would be a good way to celebrate the two national championships.”
The parade begins at noon at the intersection of Fourth Street and Spanish Town Road and will go south, turn on to Third Street and end at the State Capitol.
A ceremony on the steps of the Capitol will feature comments from players, coaches and other dignitaries at 1 p.m., according to the DDD Web site.
The parade will last approximately one hour, Rhorer said.
What little money was needed to put the parade on was raised through private funds, Rhorer said. Many volunteers from both universities helped in the planning and will participate Saturday.
“I thought this would be a great way to honor these kids and the football programs who had such great achievements this past year,” said Baton Rouge Mayor Bobby Simpson.
Free shuttles to the parade will be provided from the LSU and Southern campuses.
The LSU shuttle picks up at Gate 9 of Tiger Stadium and will run from 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m., and from 1:30 p.m.-6 p.m.