SAN ANTONIO – Every year, crowds camp out for hours before the Texas Cavaliers River Parade, eager to get a good spot.
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- Raising awareness for Children’s Rehabilitation Institute
The floats that come down the Riverwalk are sometimes more than they might appear. For the Children’s Rehabilitation Institute, as well as other organizations and charities, the River Parade is a chance to spread the word about their cause.
“I’m going to be Mowgli,” said Gabriel, a 4-year-old patient at the Institute.
Gabriel sits in a wheelchair, due to his cerebral palsy, but on Monday night he got to pretend to be the lead character in The Jungle Book.
This year is the first time the charity participated and it was assigned the theme, which fit perfectly for a float featuring kids.
“They are such a part of San Antonio, they are doing some fantastic work for kids that need rehabilitation,” said Wheeler Alcala, Gabriel’s mother.
“We got really creative with our costumes and our team and our staff and our patients, everybody just got so excited,” said Jonen Serna, the events development manager for the Children’s Rehabilitation Institute.
The Institute selected four patients to participate, as well as other staff who work with the children.
“It’s really an honor that Gabriel gets to be on the float this year and be Mogli,” Alcala said.