Marlee Matlin Announced As Grand Marshal For Orlando Citrus Parade

Florida Citrus Sports (FCSports), announced that Academy Award winner Marlee Matlin will be the Grand Marshall for the 26th Annual Orlando Citrus Parade presented by Delta Air Lines.  Matlin will lead the parade, which steps off at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 30, 2006 in Downtown Orlando.

Matlin received worldwide acclaim for her film debut in �Children of a Lesser God,� for which she received the Academy Award for Best Actress.  At 21, she became the youngest recipient for the Best Actress Oscar and also received the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Drama. 

For the last seven years, Matlin guest starred on NBC�s award winning drama, �The West Wing, � and most recently executive produced �Eddie�s Milion Dollar Cook Off� for the Disney Channel as well as guest starred in ABC�s blockbuster hits �Extreme Makeover: Home Edition� and �Desperate Housewives.� 

The Orlando Citrus Parade is an annual tradition that has grown to be one of the largest sports-affiliated parades in the nation.  This event is distinguished by seven signature citrus floats parading down a two mile stretch of Downtown Orlando made from over 100,000 pieces of citrus fruit.  More than 80,000 parade fans are expected to line the parade route. 

This year, the Orlando Citrus Parade presented by Delta Air Lines will be one of three signature FCSports events that take place in a span of 65 hours.  It is sandwiched between Orlando�s two college football bowl games – the Champs Sports Bowl (Friday, Dec. 29 at 8:00 p.m.) and the Capital One Bowl (Monday, Jan. 1, 2007 at 1:00 p.m.).  Official team bands from schools participating in the games will perform in the parade.