10 star to be marshal for world-renowned St. Patrick’s parade

By The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

HOT SPRINGS — Bo Derek will be the first female celebrity grand marshal for the seventh annual World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 17, in downtown Hot Springs.

“It’s great that our parade’s first female grand marshal will be a person who was voted as recently as 2007 as One of the Most Beautiful People on Earth,” said Steve Arrison, CEO of the Hot Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau and one of the originators/organizers of the parade. “The World’s Largest Leprechaun is so excited he’s getting his hair styled in beaded cornrows.”

Derek gained worldwide fame in 1979 as the perfect fantasy woman in 10, Blake Edwards’ film comedy starring the late Dudley Moore.

The film’s iconic scene was of Derek, her hair in then-unusualbeaded cornrows, running in slow motion on the beach.

“Our parade was voted this month as one of the Top 20 Events in the Southeast by the Southeast Tourism Society in Atlanta,” Arrison said. “The addition of Bo Derek can only clinch our claim to that honor.

“We’ve had male grand marshals until now - George (Norm) Wendt from Cheers, comedian Pauley Shore, TV star Mario Lopez, John (Cliffie) Ratzenberger from Cheers and Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs. Bo will be perfect - literally - as our first female marshal.”

Derek is a member of the California Horse Racing Board, which is the state’s equivalent of Arkansas’ Racing Commission, Arrison said.

Her visit to Hot Springs will coincide with the 2010 Oaklawn live-racing season.

Tri-Lakes, Pages 144 on 11/01/2009

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