New York City to Hold Ticker-Tape Parade for Women's World Cup Champs

The city has decided to hold a ticker-tape parade to celebrate the U.S. women's soccer team's World Cup victory, marking the first time in more than half a century that the honor will be bestowed upon female athletes.

Mayor de Blasio's office has announced plans for the parade, which will be held Friday beginning at 11 a.m. along Broadway from the Battery to City Hall, known as the Canyon of Heroes.

All are invited to celebrate along the parade route. Those who want a chance to attend the special program at City Hall can go to nyc.gov/parade or call 311 on Wednesday between 2 to 4 p.m. to sign up.

NBC 4 New York will be live streaming the parade on air and online.

Forward Abby Wambach tweeted: "Looks like we now are headed to NYC!! Very humbled by this... #the celebration continues." 

"NYC we will see you Friday! #WorldChamps," added team member Alex Morgan

The U.S. defeated Japan 5-2 on Sunday in Canada to win the World Cup, propelled by the heroic three-goal hat trick of South Jersey native Carli Lloyd.

On Monday, de Blasio's press secretary said the administration congratulated the team "on its tremendous achievement and is currently exploring logistics and talking with the team and other partners about a possible ticker-tape parade."

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer had written to de Blasio suggesting the women be honored with a parade in lower Manhattan. In her letter, she said the team "set an amazing example for athletes across our great nation" and pointed out that there has never been a parade honoring a women's team.

"Our newest soccer champions represent an opportunity for New York to recognize that heroes and role models come in all genders," she said.

The route along Broadway is known as the Canyon of Heroes. Among those honored with parades have been the New York Yankees when they've won the World Series and the New York Giants when they've won the Super Bowl, most recently in 2012.

The last female athlete to earn the honor of the confetti shower was Olympic figure skating gold medalist Carol Heiss Jenkins in 1960, according to the Alliance for Downtown New York. Jenkins told The Wall Street Journal Tuesday that she wanted to see the women's soccer team celebrate in a similar manner. The U.S. women's team is the first female sports team to earn the honor. 

The events have been known as ticker-tape parades, from the ticker tape that was showered down upon those being celebrated from people in the nearby buildings. The ticker tape has been replaced by paper confetti.

The U.S. women's soccer team was honored with a rally in Los Angeles on Tuesday. The group is also expected to make a visit to the White House.

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