Former Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords named Grand Marshal of 2023 Rose Parade

PASADENA, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - The Former Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords has been named the Grand Marshall of the 2023 Rose Parade that will take place on January 2, 2023.

Giffords is the founder of the gun violence prevention organization and was named Grand Marshall on October 13.

Here is Giffords' response:

“It’s a tremendous honor to serve as the Grand Marshal of the 134th Rose Parade. I love the theme of ‘turning the corner’—the idea that we all can make a conscious decision to go in a different direction, towards something better. This philosophy of moving ahead is one that I’ve tried to embody both in my personal journey of recovery since being shot in 2011 and in the fight for gun violence prevention that has become my life’s work. 

“The idea of ‘turning the corner’ also resonates from a national perspective. Our country has faced multiple years of a deadly pandemic and political rancor. Yet medical advances and bipartisan compromise have helped us to take steps towards a better future, even if these steps aren’t always as quick or as sure as we would like them to be. But I’ve learned the importance of incremental progress—and that progress starts with having the courage to hope, and then to act on that hope. 

“I’m extremely grateful to follow in the footsteps of the many distinguished grand marshals in the Parade’s history and to blaze my own path forward. Thank you so much to Tournament of Roses President Amy Wainscott and to the Board of Directors for this privilege, and I look forward to being at the Parade on January 2nd.”