Hoofer Chita Rivera to Prance up Fifth Avenue

By ROBERT GARCIA

Broadway legend Chita Rivera was honored Tuesday as organizers announced she would serve as grand marshal of the National Puerto Rican Day Parade for 2013.

“I’ve been blessed with many awards and recognitions but I must say I’ve always wanted to be a grand marshal,” said Rivera.

The two time Tony award winner said she would bring her two young grandnieces to sit beside he on the parade route. “I’m taking my babies to hear and see their culture,” said Rivera.

The 56^th annual parade was scheduled be held Sunday, zx 630
June 9 with the theme of “Salud! Celebrate your health.” A health awareness campaign driven by the parade will host health inspired events around the city, including a “health summit” before the parade, featuring panel discussions on health for Latinos.

George Gresham, president of the health workers union, was named international marshal.

Gresham told an audience of Puerto Rican elders of his first encounter with Puerto Ricans when he arrived in east Harlem 50 years ago from the segregated south.

“I called my mother and said I had a white teacher and sat next to a white girl, my mother replied, ‘You probably had a white teacher but that was probably a Puerto Rican girl.’ A Puerto-what!”

Gresham promised to uphold his respect for the Puerto Rican culture and people as the first African-American holding a position in the parade.

The parade was expected to begin at 11 a.m. and head up Fifth Avenue from 44^th Street to 79^th Street.