Newswise — Join Children’s Medical Center patients and Santa Claus in commencing the holiday season at the Children’s Medical Center Holiday Parade, Dec. 1 at 10 a.m. in downtown Dallas. This year’s parade is presented by Pizza Hut and historically draws a crowd of more than 350,000 people. The parade is free and open to the public, providing an opportunity for all Dallas families to celebrate.

The 2012 parade boasts a new route starting at City Hall and ending just past The Adolphus Hotel (please see route map attached). For more information about the parade, including ticket information for bleacher seating and high-res photos, visit www.childrens.com/parade.

Parade highlights include past favorites like Wonder Woman, Classic Batman, Smurfette, Raggedy Ann and Andy and the Hardin-Simmons University “World Famous” Cowboy Band, as well as new additions such as the Grambling State University Tiger Marching Band and a special appearance by Miss America, Laura Kaeppeler. The parade also boasts an array of inflatable balloons, marching bands, costumed characters and performing groups. For a complete parade lineup, visit www.childrens.com/lineup.

Additionally, four special patient grand marshals’ stories will be shared via the WFAA-Ch. 8 live broadcast, which is also nationally syndicated.

• Mia Brown, age 15 from Carrollton• Ethan Fox, age 11 from Dallas• John Garcia, age 10 from Garland• Libby Serber, age 7 from Frisco

To learn more about the grand marshals, visit www.childrens.com/grandmarshals.

About Children’s Medical Center The private, not-for-profit Children's Medical Center is the fifth-largest pediatric healthcare provider in the country, with 559 licensed beds, two full-service campuses and 10 outpatient sites. Children’s was the state’s first pediatric hospital to achieve Level 1 Trauma status and is the only pediatric teaching facility in North Texas, affiliated with UT Southwestern Medical Center. For more information, please visit www.childrens.com.

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