St. Paul Winter Carnival Torch Light Parade

On the evening of January 30th, the Men’s Olympic Curling Team was honored by the St. Paul Winter Carnival with an invitation to the Mayor’s reception at the beautiful City Hall Annex building in downtown St. Paul. At the invitation of St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, team members John Benton, John Shuster, and Chris Plys spoke to those in attendance at the reception, and when they were done speaking were surrounded by a chant of “USA! USA! USA!” from the crowd.

Following the reception, Team USA was the Grand Marshal for the Winter Carnival Torch Light Parade which winds through downtown St. Paul. While it was much colder than your average parade, it was very exciting to be greeted with cheers and shouts of encouragement along the way. It was cold, but the beautiful decorations, ice sculptures, and the warmth of the spectators made it a memorable experience!

We extend a “thank you” to the City of St. Paul, Mayor Coleman, and the St. Paul Winter Carnival for a unique, St. Paul send off!