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July 2009
52nd Annual German-American Steuben Parade Committee Announces Four Grand Marshals to Lead this Year's Parade in September
Committee honors Congressman Michael McMahon, Fox 5 TV Reporter Linda Schmidt, A&P Chairman
Christian Haub, and Steuben Parade founding member Theobald Dengler
Four distinguished German-Americans will lead the 52nd Steuben Parade on Saturday, September 19. The Parade Committee announced today that this year´s installment of this most colorful celebration of German culture and traditions, will honor Congressman Michael McMahon from the 13th Congressional District (Staten Island/Brooklyn), Fox 5 TV reporter Linda Schmidt, A&P Chairman Christian Haub, and Steuben Parade founding member Theobald Dengler, Esq.
"We are proud to have four great German-Americans from all walks of life leading our Parade," said General Chairman Lars Halter. Considering that Germans are still the largest immigrant group in the United States, and responsible for many achievements in the fields of politics, business, science, architecture, music, art and sports, Halter finds it important to honor a broader field of distinguished citizens with the title of Grand Marshal.
While the Honorable Michael McMahon's last name name might sound Irish - and he is on his father's side -, he considers himself a German-American through his mother´s side of the family. Studies of the German language and two years in the city of Heidelberg have made him a fluent speaker of the German language, and an expert on transatlantic relations. Congressman McMahon serves on the Foreign Relations Committee and is a regular guest at the German Embassy in Washington, D.C. as well as other places where German-American relations might be discussed. He serves the 13th Congressional District, which includes Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn and is especially happy about the presence of many of his constituents in the Steuben Parade, including the proprietor of one of Staten Island´s best German restaurant, the Nürnberger Bierhaus.
Linda Schmidt is a reporter at Fox 5 News and has been reporting news for over 15 years. Her hard-hitting investigative and consumer-related reports have garnered twenty Emmy nominations and six Emmy Awards. Schmidt's work has also been recognized with awards from the Associated Press, the New York State Broadcasters Association, The New York Press Club and the Newswomen's Club of New York. Schmidt has covered the country's biggest stories, including the World Trade Center attacks, the deaths of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and John F. Kennedy Jr., and the 9/11 Commission hearings. Born to an Army family in Fayetteville, NC, Schmidt graduated high school in Denville, NJ and earned a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism from Penn State University. She is very active in the community, reading to elementary school children - and serving as emcee for two recent Steuben Parades, including the 50th Anniversary Steuben Parade featuring Dr. Henry Kissinger as Grand Marshal.
Christian W. E. Haub is Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc. (A&P), a Montvale, NJ-based operator of more than 436 supermarkets in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Mr. Haub joined the Company in 1991. In December 1993, he was elected President and Chief Operating Officer. In May 1998, Mr. Haub was elected President & Chief Executive Officer. He was elected Chairman of the Board in April 2001, and assumed that office on May 1. He became Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors in August 2005.
Mr. Haub is a Partner and Co-Chief Executive of The Tengelmann Group, Mülheim, Germany, one of the world's largest food retailing companies and the majority shareholder of The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co., Inc. Born in Tacoma, Washington in 1964, Mr. Haub is a graduate of the University of Economics, Vienna, Austria, and a German-American in every aspect.
Theobald Dengler is the only surviving founding member of the Steuben Parade. Together with his father and other German-Americans and with the support of then-Mayor Robert F. Wagner, he helped stage the very first parade on Myrtle Avenue in Ridgewood, Queens. The event was a huge success and moved to Fifth Avenue in 1957. "Ted" Dengler will be celebrating his 80th birthday on September 19, 2009 - the day of the 52nd German-American Steuben Parade, which he will be leading as a Grand Marshal.
The Steuben Parade Committee is also proud to welcome 25 groups from Germany to Fifth Avenue. These German groups include large music and dance groups, carnival groups and marksmen, most of them wearing their traditional and historical attire (tracht) representing their particular region in Germany. Every year, the groups from Germany are a highlight of the Steuben Parade, bringing the unique sounds and costumes of their respective areas to a metropolis that has always welcomed the world to its streets and avenues. Perhaps the most important part of the Parade is the hundreds of German-American associations and clubs from the Greater New York area that proudly march each year. These include music and dance groups as well as social clubs, many of them more than 100 years old, active since before the very first Steuben Parade.
Once again this year, the Steuben Parade will be the highlight of German-American Friendship Month. The Parade Committee has organized many German themed cultural events throughout September, and invites everyone to take part of said events. For a complete schedule and detailed information, please visit www.SteubenParade.com. For regular updates, see www.facebook.com/Steuben or subscribe to
www.twitter.com/SteubenParade.
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