Buzz Aldrin Named Grand Marshal of 2013 Hollywood Christmas Parade, Set for 12/1

Buzz Aldrin, the astronaut and second man to walk on the moon, the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom who has four stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the man whose name and persona became the inspiration for the iconic character of Buzz Lightyear in The Walt Disney Company's/Pixar's Academy Award-winning blockbuster film franchise, Toy Story, has been named as Grand Marshal of The 2013 - 82nd Hollywood Christmas ParadeBenefiting Marine Toys for Tots Foundation to be held in the streets of Hollywood, CA live on Sunday, December 1, 2013 beginning at 5:00 p.m. with a Star-Studded Pre-Show, followed by the Parade commencing at 6:00 p.m.

Buzz Aldrin said: "I am extremely honored to serve as Grand Marshal of The 2013 - 82nd Hollywood Christmas Parade Benefiting The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, a treasured American tradition for all of us who are young at heart. Come celebrate the holidays with me on the festive streets of Hollywood on December 1st as we moonwalk down the parade route together!"

Jim Romanovich, President of Worldwide Media for Associated Television International, which will be producing the live parade on December 1st for telecasts on multiple traditional and digital platforms during the holiday season said: "This year the parade will have two runs in syndication and will appear on over 350 television stations nationwide, (in 95% of the United States) the weekend of December 22nd, including an airing on KTLA-TV, Channel 5 in Los Angeles. The parade will also be broadcast to over one million American servicemen and women worldwide on American Forces Television that same week. The Combined viewership of televised airings of this year's Hollywood Christmas Parade will be between six and eight million targeted viewers."

Romanovich added: "This year's parade will also include a special 40th Anniversary Tribute to 'The Young and the Restless.'After the live presentation of the parade on December 1st, the parade will have a premiere run on Hallmark Channel around December 10 - 15, 2013, reaching nearly 90 million households, followed by an encore run on Hallmark Movie Channel the following week, reaching 50 million households. Hallmark Channel is the brand network for the best in holiday programming and is consistently rated #1 in Total Viewers, especially in the W25-54 slot, among all cable networks from mid-November through December."

Erik Estrada ("World's Funniest Moments," "CHiPS") and Laura McKenzie ("World's Funniest Moments," "Laura McKenzie's Traveler") will serve as Broadcast Hosts of the parade. Dean Cain ("Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman," "Ripley's Believe It or Not!") and Montel Williams ("The Montel Williams Show") will return in their roles as Special Featured Hosts of the parade.

The 2013 - 82nd Hollywood Christmas Parade Benefiting Marine Toys for Tots Foundation will feature celebrities from film, television and stage, award-winning bands, colorful equestrians, ornate floats, spectacular live performers, festive balloons and popular characters/novelties. This year, as in the past several year's, the parade will be produced in association with the City of Los Angeles(Mayor Eric Garcetti currently presiding). The parade will benefit Marine Toys for Tots Foundation.

Grandstand tickets for The 2013 - 82nd Hollywood Christmas Parade Benefiting Marine Toys for Tots Foundation are now on sale!!! Parade attendees can view the event in style and comfort. Reserved Grandstand Seating for The 2013 - 82nd Hollywood Christmas Parade Benefiting Marine Toys for Tots Foundation are now available for purchase within Associated Television International's "live set" area located on Hollywood Boulevard between Orange Street and Highland Avenue.

Tickets for Reserved Seating in the Grandstand for this year's parade are $85, $65 and $45. For Groups of 25 or more, Grandstand ticket prices per person are $75, $55 and $35. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster, including http://www.ticketmaster.com/HCP, select Walmart locations, select Simon Mall locations, Curacao locations or charge-by-phone at 800-745-3000. All seats are reserved at the time the order is placed. There are no refunds or exchanges. All major credit cards are accepted, including Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express.

Further information about this year's Hollywood Christmas Parade will be announced later this year. For the latest updates, please call the 24/7 Parade Hotline toll fee at 1-866-PARADE1 (866-727-2331) and visit the parade's official website at www.thehollywoodchristmasparade.org. For highlights of past parades, please visit, www.youtube.com/thechristmasparade. Stay in touch with us via Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Photo courtesy of Hollywood Christmas Parade

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