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VOLLEYBALL HALL OF FAMER “COACH” MARCIA LAIDLAW
NAMED 2024 PARADE OF CHAMPIONS GRAND MARSHAL
Beloved coach will lead parade through streets of Canastota
CANASTOTA, NY – APRIL 30, 2024 - The International Boxing Hall of Fame announced today that the 2024 Boxing Hall of Fame Parade of Champions scheduled for Sunday, June 9th at 12 noon will be led by longtime Canastota volleyball coach and Hall of Famer “Coach” Marcia Laidlaw as Grand Marshal.
“With ‘Coach’ Laidlaw entering the New York Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame this year, it’s a fitting and exciting time to have her lead the parade as Grand Marshal,” said Hall of Fame Executive Director Edward Brophy. “She is a beloved member of Canastota’s proud athletic history who helped inspire and shape generations of student-athletes. It will be a fantastic day when the legendary coach leads the Parade of Champions through the streets of ‘Boxing’s Hometown.’”
Affectionately known as “Coach” to countless student-athletes, Laidlaw is a Canastota High School volleyball legend, having coached at Canastota for over 50 years. Her career began in 1973 with the Canastota Girls Varsity Volleyball Team, where she continues to coach today. Her on-court success is unmistakable with over 800 career wins, 40 league titles, 18 sectional titles and nine regional titles. Laidlaw was also women’s volleyball coach at Mohawk Valley Community College where she was named “Coach of the Year” six times. In 2004, she retired from Canastota after 32 years of teaching Physical Education. Laidlaw was inducted into the Section III Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2006 and in 2007 the Canastota Middle School Gymnasium was renamed the “Marcia Laidlaw Gymnasium.” In 2015, she received the National Federation of High School Coaches Association’s “New York State Volleyball Coach of the Year” award. Earlier this year, Laidlaw was inducted into the New York State Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
“It’s like a dream and I’m deeply honored to be named grand marshal for the 2024 Hall of Fame Parade of Champions,” said Laidlaw. “The success that I have attained is because of the student –athletes in Canastota and the surrounding areas that I’ve been able to work with. I accept this invitation for them and the community. Canastota is my family.”
The Parade of Champions, set for Sunday, June 9th at 12 noon, will pass through the streets of Canastota. In addition to the grand marshal and boxing stars, the parade will also feature pageant caliber bands, drum & bugle corps, pipe bands, floats and community organizations.
Among an impressive list of over 35 boxing greats from the United States and abroad scheduled to attend include returning Hall of Famers “The Golden Boy” Oscar De La Hoya, "Sugar" Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto, “The Coal Miner’s Daughter” Christy Martin, “The Baby Faced Assassin” Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik “El Terrible” Morales, Riddick “Big Daddy” Bowe, “The Spinks Jinx” Michael Spinks, Ann Wolfe, Julian “The Hawk” Jackson and special guests “Irish” Micky Ward, Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik, “The Towering Inferno” Sebastian Fundora, “Sweet Poison” Gabriela Fundora, “Merciless” Ray Mercer and Kenny Bayless.
The Class of 2024 to be honored includes boxers Ricky Hatton, Ivan Calderon, Diego Corrales (posthumous), Michael Moorer, Jane Couch, Ana Maria Torres, Luis Angel Firpo (posthumous), Theresa Kibby (posthumous), trainer Kenny Adams, manager Jackie Kallen, publicist Fred Sternburg, journalist Wallace Matthews and broadcaster Nick Charles (posthumous).
The Class of 2024 will be honored during the Hall of Fame Induction Weekend on June 6-9 in “Boxing’s Hometown.” In addition to the Parade of Champions, the weekend will also feature many events in Canastota and nearby Turning Stone Resort Casino throughout the four-day celebration including ringside talks, fist casting, fight night, 5K race / fun run, boxing autograph card show, banquet and induction ceremony.
This year's Hall of Fame Induction Weekend Friday Night Fights will be presented by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions in The Event Center at Turning Stone Resort Casino on Friday, June 7th. The card is headlined by a must-see main event battle between undefeated Oscar Collazo (9-0, 7 KOs) and Geraldo Zapata (14-1-1, 5 KOs) for the WBO Minimumweight Title. Collazo is co-promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Miguel Cotto Promotions. Tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster HERE
For more information on the 2024 Hall of Fame Induction Weekend, please call (315) 697-7095.
Connect with the International Boxing Hall of Fame through social media:
Facebook: InternationalBoxingHallofFame
Instagram: @InternationalBoxingHallofFame
Twitter: @BoxingHall
About the International Boxing Hall of Fame
The International Boxing Hall of Fame opened to the public in 1989 and is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the great sport of boxing. Located in Canastota, New York, it serves as a tribute to the world's finest boxers and contributors to the sport, allowing boxing enthusiasts to appreciate and celebrate the rich history and tradition of boxing. The International Boxing Hall of Fame is located at Exit 34 of the New York State Thruway. Click HERE for hours of operation.
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International Boxing Hall of Fame 1 Hall of Fame Drive Canastota, NY 13032 P: 315.697.7095 F: 315.697.5356
TURNING STONE RESORT CASINO
OFFICIAL RESORT CASINO OF THE INTERNATIONAL BOXING HALL OF FAME WEEKEND
The multi-year partnership between Turning Stone Resort Casino and the International Boxing Hall of Fame spotlights the entire region, garnering national attention and boosting tourism in Central New York. The partnership includes a series of nationally-televised boxing events at Turning Stone, culminating every year in June with an elaborate and bigger-than-ever International Boxing Hall of Fame Weekend with several exciting events in Madison County and Oneida County throughout the four-day celebration.
