NEWS INFORMATION FROM

THE OFFICE OF MAYOR STEPHEN R. REED
City of Harrisburg
King City Government Center
Harrisburg, PA 17101-1678
Telephone: 717.255.3040

FOR IMMEDIATE USE
25 March 2004

HARRISBURG COUGAR GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM TO BE HONORED WITH CITY PARADE TOMORROW

Harrisburg, PA—Mayor Stephen R. Reed today announced that a special parade to honor the members of the champion Harrisburg High School Girls Basketball Team will be held tomorrow, Friday, March 26, beginning at Noon from John Harris. The District Champions and state championship runner-ups will be transported on city fire trucks, a tradition begun by the Mayor when the boy’s basketball team won the state championship several years ago.

The Parade will proceed west on Market Street to Market Square, where a special welcoming ceremony will be held on the Plaza of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. City Government Center. Mayor Reed, Congressman Tim Holden and HSD Superintendent Gerald Kohn will all participate in the brief welcoming program.

Following the downtown ceremony the team will climb back aboard the fire trucks for a leisurely parade through most sections of the city, passing by many of the city’s elementary schools, where students will be permitted to cheer the team as it passes. The parade will end back at the John Harris campus.

Reed said the 32-1 Cougar Girls “have brought honor and distinction to our city and they are all winners in our eyes.

“Each of these young women has displayed the highest ideals of hard work, dedication and teamwork, and each serves as an inspiration for both fellow students as well as adults. We are very proud of these future young leaders.”

The Mayor also noted that all six of the graduating seniors on the squad are going on to college after high school graduation: “Far more important to us is that each of these team members go on to productive, successful lives, and a college education is critical to achieving those goals. While we take great pride in their accomplishments on the court, having all six seniors both graduate and go on to good colleges is truly a double blessing. Congratulations to all!

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