Dave Ward named grand marshal of HLSR parade
Longtime Houston television anchor Dave Ward is no stranger to the Downtown Rodeo Parade, having covered the annual event 49 times. In 2018, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo will welcome Ward back to the parade as grand marshal on Saturday, Feb. 24.
SEE DAVE WARD SERVING AS THE HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW AND RODEO GRAND MARSHAL
“We are excited to have Houston’s own Dave Ward serve as the grand marshal of the 2018 Downtown Rodeo Parade,” said Joel Cowley, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo president and CEO. “Dave has been a fixture in the homes of our community for the last five decades and we are truly looking forward to having him help kick off the world’s largest livestock show and rodeo in February.”
Ward, a 50-year veteran of ABC Channel 13 News, began his career with the station in 1966 as a street reporter and landed his first anchoring job just one year later as the host of the 7 a.m. weekday newscast. His career skyrocketed, and in 1968, when he took over Eyewitness News at 6 and 10, the broadcast went to No. 1 in Houston.
Often referred to as the “Voice of Houston,” Ward has covered everything from natural disasters to space travel, and political conventions to local entertainment. He has traveled across the world in pursuit of the facts for a solid story, and has interviewed people from all different backgrounds and cultures, including five U.S. presidents. In 2016, he was recognized by Guinness World Records as the longest-running television news broadcaster in a major market.
Ward is a lifetime member of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and is an avid supporter of the organization.
The Downtown Rodeo Parade will be held Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018, at 10 a.m. Preceding the parade is the 31st annual Rodeo Run, presented by ConocoPhillips, which has contributed nearly $5 million to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo since it began in 1988.
SCHEDULE
9:10 a.m. wheelchair race
9:20 a.m. 10K race
9:35 a.m. 5K fun run/walk
10 a.m. Downtown Rodeo Parade
For more information about the Downtown Rodeo Parade, please visit: rodeohouston.com/Visit-the-Rodeo/Pre-Rodeo-Events/Parade.
