Haute 100 NY Update: Kelly Ripa Named Grand Marshall of NYC’s Halloween Parade

Come Halloween, thousands of New Yorkers will walk along 6th Avenue decked out in festive costumes for New York City’s Village Halloween Parade. And this year, TV personality Kelly Ripa will have a ringside seat for all the action!

According to event organizers, the bubbly blonde host of “Live! with Kelly and Michael” will serve as the Grand Marshall of the annual event because of her efforts in raising funds and awareness for Superstorm Sandy last year. Ripa will ride on a float honoring the men and women who helped the people of NYC during last year’s natural disaster, and also members of the organ transplant team at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

“We have been taking our children to the Halloween Parade since they were born,” Ripa revealed in a statement. “This is a good vantage point because they are too big to sit on our shoulders! I am very proud to be a part of this event. The work to bring to Sandy Relief is never done.”

Due to Sandy, the parade was cancelled last year—the first time in its 40-year history—and left event organizers more than $50,000 in debt. To recover their losses and ensure that the parade would go on this year, the not-for-profit arts foundation launched a Kickstarter campaign last month to raise funding. Thanks to several generous donations, particularly one from Rubie’s Costume Company, the parade will continue as planned.

“Like those who came to the rescue after Sandy last year, Rubie’s has come to the rescue of the Halloween Parade this year, making possible this Parade float that embodies the spirit of this year’s theme: Revival!” explained Parade Director, Jeanne Fleming. “We are thrilled to have such culturally minded, local sponsors keeping this great NYC tradition alive.”