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Sports

Little League Parade Brings Big Smiles

Great weather and a great time enjoyed by players, families.

The Mets, Cubs and Red Sox marched down Main Street Saturday afternoon. Not the major leaguers, but the Little Leaguers.

Madison Little League kicked off the start of the season with its annual parade through the heart of town. The event, which started in the 1950s, has been a tradition since the inception of the league.

"This is the highlight of the year right here," said Ernie Cicconi, president of Madison Little League. "This is a real community event and it's the unofficial start of spring here in Madison."

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Approximately 250 boys and girls marched in the parade to show their team pride. They wore uniform T-shirts in every color of the rainbow and threw candy to friends and families watching and cheering from the sidewalk.

"It's just fun and this year was more fun than other years because more of my friends were here," said Katie Taylor, a player on the Madison Medical & Sports Rehab team.

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The march began in the St. Vincent Martyr School parking lot and wound its way down Green Village Road, through the center of town on Main Street and culminated at Dodge Field. Mayor Mary-Anna Holden and Newark Bears mascots Ruppert and Effa attended the parade as special guests.

"It's fun time for the kids," said Tom Lenehan, coach of the Main Street Subs. "Everybody gets to march down the streets, they close down the town and the kids enjoy that."

Although only one member of the Main Street Subs showed up for the parade, Lenehan wasn't perturbed.

"I enjoy seeing kids happy, that's my whole take on it," said Lenehan. "If they're happy, I'm happy."

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