MANHATTAN — The city will shell out $1.5 million for a ticker-tape parade on Friday to celebrate the victorious U.S. Women's World Cup team, a spokeswoman for the city said.
The team's 5-2 win against Japan on Sunday marked the first U.S. win since 1999 and the third victory ever. On Monday, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer called on the mayor to arrange for appropriate festivities.
The total cost of the parade will be an estimated $2 million, a portion of which will be offest by private donations, the spokeswoman said. Parade sponsors — including Nike and Electronic Arts — have donated $450,000 and organizers are still collecting funds.
All 23 players from the U.S. team will attend the parade, the spokeswoman said.
Friday's parade will begin at 11 a.m., and will run along the Canyon of Heroes, beginning on Broadway at Bankruptcy Court, then north to City Hall.
Then at 1 p.m., 3,500 raffle winners will cram into City Hall Plaza for a ceremony that will feature Robin Roberts, ABC’s "Good Morning America" anchor, and Heather Mitts, of the former member of the U.S. Women’s National Team.
About 12,000 people applied online for tickets to the event, the spokeswoman said.
Gonna be BIG! 🇺🇸“@ussoccer_wnt: Join #BestFansintheWorld at #USWNTParade Friday! See you in NYC in Red, White & Blue pic.twitter.com/uDuH80yu36”
— FIFA Women'sWorldCup (@FIFAWWC) July 8, 2015Tens of thousands of people lined Broadway in 2012 after the Giants defeated the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, in a parade that also cost $2 million, the city said.
