Las Vegas parade in honor of King turns 30

The Las Vegas parade honoring slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. has grown substantially since it began three decades ago.

The first parade in 1982 included only 13 entries. Few spectators showed up.

Thousands are expected to attend the 30th annual parade downtown Monday morning.

Presented by MGM Resorts International, the procession will feature about 145 entries including floats, marching bands, pint-sized cheerleaders, police cruisers, and youth sports and drill teams.

This year's theme is, "Living the Dream: Rebuilding a 30-Year Pilgrimage -- Our Nation Reaches the Mountaintop."

The parade starts at 10 a.m. at the corner of Fourth Street and Hoover Avenue, then proceeds north on Fourth to Ogden Avenue.

Parade grand marshals parade are:

■ GENE COLLINS: Collins is a former Assemblyman and community activist who heads the local chapter of the Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network.

He served two terms as president of the local chapter of the NAACP and founded two local baseball leagues.

Collins, who grew up in Lake Providence, La., was found guilty of misdemeanor tax evasion charges while serving in the Assembly. Despite the conviction, he was elected to a second term.

He later ran unsuccessfully for Las Vegas City Council.

■ PATRICIA CUNNINGHAM: Cunningham is a radio talk show host and news director at KCEP-FM, 88.1. She hosts the Saturday morning "Patricia Cunningham Show" and is the founder and director of the African American Women's Summit and the Alliance for Social Justice.

Cunningham has spent more than 25 years as a counselor and social worker. She serves on the President's Task Force on Equity and Diversity at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; the Nevada State College Diversification Advisory Committee; and the Metropolitan Police Department's Multicultural Affairs Committee.

Honorary grand marshals are:

■ PHYLLIS A. JAMES: James is executive vice president, special counsel for litigation and chief diversity officer for MGM Resorts International.

She joined MGM Resorts in 2002.

Previously, she served with Mayor Dennis Archer as corporation counsel and law director for the city of Detroit.

James has been active in civic affairs throughout her career, and is a former board member of the American Bar Association's Center for Racial and Ethnic Diversity. She earned her law degree from Harvard Law School.

■ STEVE SCHORR: Schorr is vice president of public and government affairs at Cox Communications in Las Vegas, where he serves as liaison to all local, state and federal elected officials and government bodies.

During his more than 35 years in Southern Nevada, Schorr has been widely recognized for his involvement with civic organizations, youth groups and public service agencies.

Nevada Child Seekers recently named him Man of the Year for his efforts on behalf of children.

He also is advisory board chairman for the 100 Black Men of Las Vegas, which focuses on mentoring children.