Minnesota gymnast Suni Lee's Olympic triumph will be celebrated Sunday afternoon with a parade in the east metro.
Sunday parade will honor Olympic gold medalist and St. Paul native Suni Lee
The parade will start in St. Paul and end in Maplewood.
August 5, 2021 at 11:36PM
The procession for the gold medalist will begin at 3 p.m. at White Bear and Arlington avenues in St. Paul, Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher said. It will head north on White Bear Avenue to the grounds of Aldrich Arena in Maplewood, where a program honoring Lee will start at 4 p.m.
Nearly 200 fans showed up at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Thursday to welcome home the 18-year-old Olympian, who grew up on St. Paul's East Side.
"As the first Asian and Hmong American Olympic Gold Medalist, Suni Lee's historic achievement has inspired community members in her hometown St. Paul, across our state, nation and around the world," Visit St. Paul, one of the parade organizers, said in a news release Friday.
Attendees are encouraged to wear face masks regardless of whether they are vaccinated, the release said.
The Suni Lee Celebration Committee, Hmong community leaders and the city of St. Paul are also planning the event. Parade security will be coordinated by St. Paul police, Maplewood police, the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office and the Minnesota State Patrol.
These Minnesotans are poised to play prominent roles in state and national politics in the coming years.
