Local residents and organizations are being invited to participate in a contest to represent Osceola County in the inaugural parade for Rick Scott, Florida’s 45th governor.

On Jan. 3 and 4, Floridians will attend the inauguration of the governor and Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll. The theme for the inaugural is “Florida, Forging a Path to Prosperity.” The inaugural event is funded through the generosity of private donors and will be celebrated with a wide variety of events, including the parade on Tuesday, Jan. 4, from 2:15 to 4:15 p.m. on Monroe Street, in Tallahassee.

“The Inaugural Parade will honor our state’s greatest resource: Floridians,” Mark Cross, Osceola County chairman, Rick Scott for Florida, said. “People from all across the state, representing each county, will participate in this time-honored tradition beginning at the Governor’s Mansion and concluding just beyond the Old Capitol.

The parade will be free and open to the public.

Osceola County, Cross said, will select one entrant for the parade to represent the county. That entrant, he added, could be a high school or university band, a horse troop or a float. The parade entrant will need to be self-funded, and there is no compensation for travel expense or hotel costs, but parade participants and accompanying chaperones will be fed during the parade hours, Cross said.

If your group would like to apply, then provide the name of your group, the type of entry, any photos or background information along with the primary contact’s information no later than Tuesday, Dec. 14. Send a written statement that contains all the requested application information to: Mark Cross, 209 S. Clyde Ave., Kissimmee, FL 34741.

There will be a selection process or lottery depending upon the number of applications, Cross said.

“The process will be fair and open to all who want to apply for or compete for the opportunity to participate in this historic event,” Cross said.

For more information, call Cross at 407-908-2749.