Teen named grand marshal of Duarte parade

The City of Duarte, Calif., has named a 17-year-old boy who doesn’t even have a driver’s license as grand marshal of the annual Route 66 Parade next month.

He’s not just any teenager, though. Zac Sunderland of nearby Thousand Oaks is the youngest person to ever sail around the world. According to the Pasadena Star-News, he circumnavigated the globe in a 36-foot sailboat over a 13-month period.

City councilwoman Lois Gaston said Sunderland was chosen as grand marshall because his achievement reflected the “pioneering spirit” of westward expansion that Route 66 represented. Mayor John Fasana agreed.

“Route 66 was all about adventure – doing things that haven’t been done,” Fasana said. “That’s what this young man has done.”

The parade will be Sept. 19 at 10 a.m. Zac”s Web site is here, along with a blog he maintained during and after his adventure. Here’s a video of when he completed his historic trip:

Since Zac doesn’t have a license, he explained to the city he would need a ride to be at the parade. Somehow, I don’t think they will mind in obliging him.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.