Fourth grand marshal added for Longboat parade

What do a fire chief, a grocery manager, a cardiologist and a chief nursing officer have in common? 

They're all hometown heroes, and they'll all serve as grand marshals for Longboat Key's annual Freedom Fest parade on Sunday, July 4 near Town Hall. 

Jean Lucas, a Country Club Shores resident for 18 years and Sarasota Memorial Health Care System’s Chief Nursing Officer at the soon-to-open Venice hospital will take part in the parade, billed the ”shortest parade in America

She'll join Fire Chief Paul Dezzi, cardiologist Dr. Colleen Hardy and Publix store manager Willie McLaughlin at the front of the parade, emblematic of the event's Hometown Heroes theme. 

Lucas has been with the hospital organization since 2007 and served as the hospital’s associate chief nursing officer for four years and helped lead the hospital’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The parade begins on Bay Isles Road at 9:15 a.m.