New York City celebrated the U.S. Women’s soccer team’s World Cup victory with a historic ticker-tape parade early Friday.
The parade came after the U.S. Women’s soccer team earned their third World Cup after beating Japan 5-2 on Sunday. The idea for the parade was first suggested by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewerand Mayor de Blasio approved of the idea. Traditionally sports teams ride down the famous Canyon of Heroes, but this event marked the first time a women’s team received the famed ride.
Each member of the team traveled aboard 12 floats up Broadway from Battery Park to City Hall. De Blasio addressed the crowd and team in a free post-parade ceremony at City Hall Plaza. Over 12,000 people requested tickets but only 3,500 people received them from a random lottery selection.
Billed as a ticker-tape parade the event actually used confetti. The Downtown Alliance and residential buildings and businesses along the parade route purchased and supplied confetti, according to city officials. The city aimed to recycle all the confetti used. To help with clean up NYC hired more than 400 individuals to tidy up the parade’s aftermath. The effort included 14 collection trucks and 100 backpack blowers.
