Chrysler Group LLC Sets the 78th McDonald’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in Motion

November 14, 2011 , Chicago, Ill. -  This Thanksgiving Day, Chrysler Group LLC vehicles will drive dignitaries, floats and even Santa down State Street as part of the 78th McDonald’s® Thanksgiving Parade in downtown Chicago on Thursday, Nov. 24, from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (CST).

“Getting the opportunity to share in this time-honored Thanksgiving Day tradition is a real privilege for the Chrysler Group,” said Jeff Kommor, Chrysler Midwest Business Center Director. “We are especially excited to see Santa increase the power of his ride from eight reindeer to the HEMI® V8 in the Jeep® Grand Cherokee at the end of the parade.”

Chrysler Group is the official automotive sponsor of this year’s McDonald’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in Chicago, providing 27 vehicles to support the parade and its organizers. The award-winning Dodge Durango, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram 1500 pick-up trucks will use their class-leading towing capabilities to pull the many floats featured in the parade. In addition, parade celebrities and dignitaries will enjoy the view of State Street from the back of newly redesigned Chrysler 200 convertibles.

“We’re honored to have Chrysler on board for the first year as official automotive sponsor of the 2011 McDonald’s Thanksgiving Parade,” said Phil Purevich, Executive Director of the Chicago Festival Association which produces the Parade. “Chrysler is generously providing vehicles for use in the parade, including transportation for many staff and volunteers working hard to make this event happen.”

In addition to the parade vehicles, Chrysler Group will also have its first official parade entry featuring one vehicle from each of the company’s five brands: a 2012 Dodge Challenger, a 2012 Fiat 500, a 2012 Jeep Wrangler, a Chrysler 300 and a Ram 1500.

WGN 9 Chicago will air the parade live and in high definition from 8:00 a.m. to 11 a.m. (CST) on Thursday, Nov. 24. WGN America also will broadcast the parade nationally, establishing it as one of only three parades in the country to be covered live, in its entirety, on a national television broadcast. CLTV will rebroadcast the parade from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

About Chicago Festival Association

The Chicago Festival Association is a non-profit organization with the mission of producing community events that positively impact the people of the city of Chicago, our guests and visitors. With a full-time staff augmented by over a thousand hard-working volunteers, the Chicago Festival Association strives to ensure the best in free family-entertainment for the millions spectators in Chicago and across the nation.

The McDonald’s ® Thanksgiving Parade takes place rain or shine, Thursday, Nov. 24, from 8 to 11 a.m., on State Street, in Chicago. For more information about the McDonald’s® Thanksgiving Parade, please contact Chicago Festival Association at (312) 239-0457 or log on to www.chicagofestivals.org.

About Chrysler Group LLC

Chrysler Group LLC, formed in 2009 to establish a global strategic alliance with Fiat S.p.A., produces Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Mopar, SRT and Fiat vehicles and products. With the resources, technology and worldwide distribution network required to compete on a global scale, the alliance builds on Chrysler Group’s culture of innovation, first established by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925, and Fiat’s complementary technology that dates back to its founding in 1899.

Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Mich., Chrysler Group’s product lineup features some of the world's most recognizable vehicles, including the Chrysler 300 and Town & Country, Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Durango, Ram 1500, Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 and Fiat 500. Fiat contributes world-class technology, platforms and powertrains for small- and medium-size cars, allowing Chrysler Group to offer an expanded product line including environmentally friendly vehicles.