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Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that New York City will throw "the biggest" and "best" ticker tape parade for first responders and healthcare workers as soon as the city reopens.
During his daily briefing on Tuesday morning, de Blasio promised New Yorkers that while our beloved parades and events have been canceled, including NYC Pride and the Mermaid Parade, a gigantic celebration is forthcoming:
"The day is coming when this city will fight our way back ...when the city will get back to normal. The day is coming when we will overcome this disease," he said. "The day is coming when I’m going be able to tell you we can gather again and the day is coming when we will be having the concerts and the streets fairs and the parades again."
"I want to guarantee you one thing: when that day comes, when we can restart the vibrant, beautiful life of this city again, the first thing we will do is we will have a ticker tape parade down the canyon of heroes for our healthcare workers and first responders," he continued. "We will honor those who saved us. The first thing we will do before we think about anything else is we will take time as only NYC can do to throw the biggest best parade to honor these heroes"
He went on to say that it will speak to the "rebirth of New York City" and to a heroism that is intrinsic to who we are as New Yorkers.
"This parade will mark the beginning of our renaissance, but it will also be a chance to say 'thank you' to so many good and noble people," he said. "One day we will be able to start back on the road and we will honor them as they deserve and that will be a beautiful and joyous day in the city."
The Canyon of Heroes route is down Broadway from the Battery to City Hall. There have been 206 ticker tape parades on this stretch since 1886, from ones honoring George Washington's inauguration as president to the most recent—the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team.