Baltimore will honor its hometown Olympic champion Michael Phelps with fireworks and a parade through his old stomping grounds of Towson, declared Tuesday by local officials as the “swimming center of the universe.”
Officials detailed the Oct. 4 homecoming celebration for Phelps and fellow local Olympic medalists Katie Hoff and Jessica Long, a Middle River swimmer competing in the ongoing 2008 International Paralympics in Beijing.
Festivities will kick off with a 3 p.m. parade at York Road and Burke Avenue near Towson High School and head south toward Rodgers Forge where Phelps grew up.
An event at Fort McHenry will begin at 7 p.m. with music, fireworks and a “star-spangled” salute, officials said.
“Eight different times Michael Phelps stood for us and sang the words to the national anthem,” said Gov. Martin O’Malley, noting the apt venue of Fort McHenry, the birthplace of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
“For all those weeks, we really had something to cheer about.”
O’Malley, backed by cheerleaders and a marching band, joined Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith and Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon at a news conference to announce the plans at Towson High, where Phelps graduated.
The champion’s mother, Debbie Phelps, said she caught a glimpse of her son on the “Tonight Show with Jay Leno” on Monday night, then talked to him by phone.
“He said, ‘I’ve been living out of a suitcase since June 25,’ ” Phelps said. “He said, ‘I just need to come home for a bit.’ ”
Phelps won eight gold medals in this past month’s 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, a world record.
Huff, also from Towson, captured a silver and two bronze medals.
Long has won one gold medal so far in the event that ends Tuesday.
Smith, who jokingly declared Towson the “swimming center of the universe,” made his first public appearance since triple bypass surgery this past month.
He said he is easing back into his full-time schedule.
“It was so great turning on the TV and seeing Baltimore County’s Olympians do so well,” Smith said.
“It was the best therapy I could have.”
