PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers organization, in partnership with Alaska Airlines, were honored as the Grand Marshals of this year's Portland Rose Festival Parade on Saturday.
“Alaska Airlines values very much the Portland Timbers and the partnership we've had through the years [along with] the MLS Championship and all the wonderful things the Portland Timbers have accomplished through the years and all the amazing things [they've] done in the community,” explained Alaska Airlines Special Projects coordinator Contesa Diaz-Nicolaidis. “I think for us it seemed like a win-win to be able to celebrate [the team] this year.”
As the Alaska Airlines procession pulled out of the Veterans Memorial Coliseum at the beginning of the parade route, Timbers midfielder Jack Jewsbury, on hand with his two daughters and teammate Ben Zemanski, hoisted up the MLS Cup trophy to a chorus of cheers from the crowd.