admin posted on August 22, 2011 04:02
The Matthews Alive Board of Directors is pleased to have Larry Sprinkle as the 2011 Matthews Alive Grand Marshal. Larry is the preeminent weathercaster in the Charlotte Metro Area. He has worked for WCNC for 16 years and before that served as the “Morning Man” on WAYS/WROQ for 13 years. While his infectious smile and humor help people start their days positively it is his hands-on commitment to serving non-profit organizations that make him the perfect choice for the Matthews Alive Labor Day parade. Matthews Alive is a festival that has supported local non-profit organizations for 19 years.
The Matthews Alive Labor Day Parade will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, September 3.
The parade is the largest in the Southeast and features over 20 floats and 100 entries. Featured in this year’s parade will be The Wells Fargo Stagecoach, The Giant Robot, Bands from Butler, Providence, East Meck, Sun Valley, Independence & Marvin Ridge High Schools; Mascots from all over - Sir Purr, Chubby, Homer, Rufus, Peanut characters from Carowinds and the Oasis Shriners with mini model T's, a mini airplane and much more.
The parade travels through downtown Matthews from Matthews-Mint Hill Road to Matthews United Methodist Church on Trade Street.
Larry is the weather anchor for the weekday morning and noon newscasts on WCNC-TV. He joined the station in 1985. Larry is a longtime veteran of broadcasting, starting his career as a radio announcer at the age of 14. While living in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, he became the first American to have a radio program on Radio Ethiopia at the age of 16. Larry continued his career while attending East Carolina University.
Larry was the "Morning Man" on WAYS/WROQ in Charlotte for 13 years. While in radio, he was known for his many voice impressions, including Elvis, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Bill Clinton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ross Perot, Jimmy Stewart and dozens more.
Eventually, he combined radio with television and the film industry. He spent a number of years as a commercial spokesman for many national clients, including McDonald's, Magnavox, Dristan, Hardees’s, Little Debbie Snacks, and Chewels Gum. You may remember him as the "Ty-D-Bowl Man."
Larry has appeared in 11 theatrical films, including Firestarter, Trick or Treat, Rare Breed, and the made-for-television movie The Ryan White Story.
Larry is involved in the community and is on the board of directors of a number of charities. His volunteerism keeps him busy almost every day, including speaking engagements at schools, civic organizations, senior centers and fund-raisers.
He has received many awards for his charity work, including "The Governor's Award," for working with senior citizens, the "Mayor's Award for Volunteerism," the "President's Award" from the Association of Retarded Citizens, and the "Humane Citizen Award" for years of work with the Humane Society and the Animal Shelter. Most recently, Larry was honored as "Citizen of the Year" by the Civitans of Charlotte.
One of the things that makes Matthews Alive a special festival is proceeds from the festival go back to approximately 30 local nonprofit organizations whose volunteers work at the festival. We hope to see you there as we work to support the good works of our community.