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May 12, 2014, By Danielle Ryan
The 41st Annual Snellville Days festival will be celebrated this coming weekend at T.W. Briscoe Park in Snellville.
This year’s theme is “Dreams Come True” and the grand marshal is Snellville resident and former linebacker for UGA, the Tennessee Titans and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Rennie Curran.
#The parade will start at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Wisteria Village with Curran presiding.
He will be joined by the UGA cheerleaders and mascot.
The parade will also feature horses and knights from Medieval Times, group floats, three marching bands, mascots, clowns, politicians, local cheerleaders and more.
#“Every year since I’ve taken over the parade we try to have different acts and every year we try to grow the parade. This year we have Medieval Times coming with their horses, we have Caribbean association with Carnival dancers and steel drums,” said Mayor Kelly Kautz. “Of course we have local schools come with floats, cheerleaders, and marching bands. We’re encouraging all of the participants to give out things to spectators. We want it to be enjoyable for everyone, not just people in the parade but those who come out to watch.”
#Choosing Curran as grand marshall made perfect sense to the mayor, and he was honored to have the opportunity to give back to his community.
#“I met Rennie a couple of years ago when I gave Justin Lansford the key to the city. Rennie’s a fabulous resident of Snellville,” said Kautz. “I’m a UGA graduate and so I’m proud of what Rennie has done. I’ve supported him in the release of his new book, “Free Agent.” I thought it was appropriate with this year’s theme, Dreams Come True, to have Rennie as the grand marshall.”
#Even though Curran has traveled all over the country with the NFL, Snellville is and will always be his home.
#“No matter how successful I become, I will always come back to Snellville. I want to be around the people who helped me become successful,” Curran said. “I love being a part of everything there and at Brookwood High School. Teachers and coaches at Brookwood and around the community made me the man I am today.”
#Curran said he was honored and humbled by Kautz’s decision to make him grand marshall in Snellville Days, and it helped push his overall goal to help the community he grew up in. This year’s theme truly hit home for the football star.
#“I was a young kid, having dreams and aspirations of playing at UGA and in the NFL. Knowing what achieving my dreams has meant to me, my family, even my high school. To make them proud and be that role model is a great feeling of fulfillment and provides my motivation to keep achieving my dreams,” he said.
#“For everybody who had a dream, those athletes who have been told they’re not good enough, I do it for them. I do it for the underdogs. I’m going to do everything in my power, whether it’s playing in the NFL or being a motivational speaker, I want to help my community and make everybody proud.”