RUMFORD, Maine — Members of the New England Patriots organization were in Rumford Friday night for a Super Bowl parade.
Roger White organized the celebration and got two cheerleaders and Pat the Patriot to ride on one of nine floats in the parade that went down Hancock Street, ending on Congress Street in downtown Rumford.
"Without everybody joining me, this would be nothing. I'd be out here looking like a fool," said White.
This is not the first time White has done this.
In 2017, after the Patriots' historic comeback win in Super Bowl LI, White and his daughter were watching the parade in Boston, when he had the idea.
"It worked, so now we try it again. The only problem is now you've got to turn it up a notch because everyone's expecting you to do well," said White. "The only time our town ever seems to be on the news is for something bad -- a drug bust or something like that. This is a chance to showcase the good in our town."
Leading the parade was 103-year-old Myrtle Milledge, a lifelong New England sports fan, who didn't have much to say, but was happy to be at the parade.
White said he was nervous again this year, waiting for the cheerleaders and the mascot to arrive in the mill town about a four-hour drive from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.
"The first time, I got laughed out of town. Everyone thought I was nuts. They were like,' the Patriots? There's no way they're coming up to Rumford.' I really figured that if I pushed the issue, the Patriots would help us. They proved me right," said White.
"Being able to come up here in Rumford, Maine -- I don't know how many people get to come to Foxborough, so bringing a little bit of Foxborough here is such a great experience," said the cheerleader.
"When somebody tells you you can't do something, it just motivates you that much more," said White. :Next year we might get a player. Yeah we're planning next year already. We will have number seven."