Central Florida Dragon Parade dances down Mills 50

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ORLANDO, Fla. – It was a big celebration Sunday morning as hundreds came out for the 11th annual Central Florida Dragon Parade in Orlando’s Mills 50 district.

From dancers to great music, the parade honored Asian culture and showed off their many traditions, also celebrating the Lunar New Year.

Agnes Chau is president of Youth Enrichment and Senior Services (YESS) and helped organize the parade, alongside Mills 50 and other organizations.

“With this year of the rabbit, we’re going to set it out with prosperity, health, good fortune,” Chau said. “We’re Asian Americans, but we always want to be part of the community, the bigger community, including our culture.”

For Simon Choy, the vice president and general manager of payroll company ADP, the annual parade is personal for him. He was born and raised in Malaysia and said it means so much to see his culture celebrated and honored right here in Central Florida.

“This is very meaningful for me,” Choy said. “We (ADP) are also the title sponsor. We just want to be part of this community and just giving back.”

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and other local elected leaders took part in Sunday’s celebrations, including Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan who covers part of the district where the parade happened.

“It’s so important now more than ever to realize that we are better together. We are stronger when we unite,” Sheehan said. “It says that we are welcoming inclusive and decent people.”

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