Parade of Champions to celebrate athletes from Leeward and Central Oahu

EWA—With the summer at a close, many club sports seasons are done and the school year has begun. But for a select group of Hawaii’s youngsters, there will be one last chance to relive this past season’s glories.

On Sunday September 12, the City and County of Honolulu will honor local teams with a “Parade of Champions.” The parade will include the Waipio Little League All-Stars and seven other champion youth sports teams and individuals.

“Everyone is invited to join us for a community parade honoring these fine young athletes and role models,”  said acting Mayor Kirk Caldwell in a statement. “This is a wonderful chance to show our pride in their achievements and our home.”

The parade will be held in Waipio-Gentry, the hometown of the Waipio Little League All-Stars who last week won the United States championship title at the Little League World Series. After playing five straight games coming back from the losing bracket to win the U.S. title, the team fell just short of a World Series title, falling to Japan 4-1 in the finals.

The seven other national championship and titleholder teams and individuals also play in the Central/Leeward Oahu region. Honorees include:

Baseball
• Ewa Beach All-Stars—2010 PONY Bronco World Series Champs
• Central Oahu Boys 12u—2010 USSSA World Series Champs (USSSA—United States Specialty Sports Association)

Softball
• Pookela—2010 14-and-up Class B Western National Championship
• Central Oahu Wahine Softball 12u Fastpitch—2010 Diamond Dreams Hall of Fame Tournament Champions
• Wahiawa Bobby Sox—National Tournament Championship

Soccer
• Abunai 95 Soccer Team of Mililani—U-15 Premier Division National Cup Finals

Boxing
• Keoni Adric Jr., Waipahu Boxing Club—2010 Golden Gloves Champion, 2010 Ringside National Champion

The parade will start at 10:00 a.m. at the intersection of Ukee and Waipio Uka streets near the Waipio-Gentry Jack in the Box. The parade will proceed down Waipio Uka Street, turn left on Ka Uka Boulevard, and conclude at Patsy Mink Central Oahu Regional Park, where the athletes will be honored. The parade is scheduled to conclude at approximately 11:00 a.m.