The Washington’s Birthday Celebration Association (WBCA) has selected outstanding community leaders to lead two of the Washington’s Birthday Celebration’s most traditional and time-honored events; the IBC/Commerce Bank Youth Parade Under the Stars and the Anheuser-Busch Washington’s Birthday Parade.
The WBCA is proud to announce that “Veteran’s of Foreign Wars – POST 9194” will serve as the 2026 Parade Marshals for the Anheuser-Busch Washington’s Birthday Parade. Receiving the honor for the IBC/Commerce Bank Youth Parade Under the Stars will be “Mary Help of Christians School-Celebrating 90 years.”.
“Tonight we celebrate the accomplishments of two amazing organizations that have dedicated decades of making Laredo and the community a better place,” said WBCA President Jaime Fuentes. “We are honored to have Veterans of Foreign Wars post 9194 as our Anheuser-Busch Washington’s Birthday Parade Marshals, not only for the sacrifices they’ve made to ensure the safety of our nation, but also for continuing to give back to our local community through all their charitable endeavors. For the IBC/Commerce Bank Youth Parade Under the Stars parade marshals, we celebrate Mary Help of Christians School – for 90 years of educational excellence, spiritual guidance, and building young leaders in our community. These 2 worthy organizations exemplify the spirit of Laredo and the 128th WBCA Celebration.,” WBCA President Jaime Fuentes said.
The IBC/Commerce Bank Youth Parade Under the Stars, takes place Thursday, Feb. 19, at 6 p.m. The Anheuser-Busch Washington’s Birthday Parade, will be held Saturday, Feb. 21, at 9 a.m. Both follow a route South on San Bernardo Avenue, to the heart of Laredo’s historic downtown district.
As Parade Marshals, the designated representatives will serve as official “WBCA Ambassadors”. On the day of the Parades, the Parade Marshals, and their respective groups, will lead more than 200 entries that participate in these grand events each year.
“We at IBC Bank are proud to celebrate the selection of the Laredo Salesian Sisters as Parade Marshals for the IBC Bank Youth Parade Under the Stars. Their lifelong commitment to uplifting youth through education, faith, and service makes them a shining example of leadership in our community. This honor shines a light on their legacy of compassion and leadership for the past 90 years. Their role as parade marshals will undoubtedly elevate the spirit and meaning of this cherished community celebration.”
said, Gabriel Castillo, Sr. Vice President of Corporate Marketing.
The IBC/Commerce Bank Youth Parade Under the Stars is scheduled to take place on Thursday, February 19, 2026. This illuminated evening parade highlights talented youth as they promenade over the streets of Downtown Laredo and entertain the crowds with their dance routines, marching units and fully decorated floats.
Mary Help of Christians School – In February 1935, four Salesian Sisters set up a community and school in downtown Laredo. The first “school” on Hidalgo Street was located in a four room house where one room served as a chapel, the second room was used to teach sewing, painting and embroidery; the third room was the kitchen and dining area and the fourth room was the Sisters’ living quarters. As the Sisters’ presence became known and their mission of being a true service to the youth spread, the student population outgrew the small school. At this time they relocated to Houston street.
The years from 1935 – 1940 served as a foundation of the work of the Salesian Sisters in Laredo leading to many young ladies answering the call to God’s service and entering the vocation.
The school numbers continued to grow, going from 200 students in 1945, to 500 students in 1957, to 630 students in 1961; it was time to find a larger school.
Mr. Robert Trautmann graciously donated 20 acres of land which became the property where the school is currently located on Del Mar Blvd. and the rest is history. The grounds were blessed in November of 1962 and buildings were ready in November of 1963. This campus continues to grow, meeting the ever-changing population of Laredo.
As times have changed, so have the programs at Mary Help of Christians School. In addition to a strong Catholic curriculum, traditional Salesian education, athletic programs and extracurricular activities are available across the grade levels, Pre K3 through 8th grade.
The Salesian Sisters at Mary Help of Christians have formed many outstanding and contributing citizens in Laredo, Nuevo Laredo, and beyond.
Mary Help of Christians School is a private, Catholic, Salesian school. It is owned and operated by the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, known as the Salesian Sisters. They belong to the congregation founded by St. Mary Mazzarello, who was the co-foundress with St. John Bosco.
The Anheuser-Busch Washington’s Birthday Parade will take place on Saturday, February 21, 2026. Referred to as the “crown jewel” of the Celebration, this international parade is led by the ever-popular Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales and features dazzling floats from all over South Texas. During this parade, Princess Pocahontas is presented with a key to the City by the Mayor of Laredo; the Society of Martha Washington debutantes display their beautifully beaded, gowns; and bands, marching units, clowns and dance teams perform for the crowds making this a truly unforgettable event.
“The Washington’s Birthday Celebration is one of the traditions that makes Laredo so special. It brings families, friends, and visitors together in a way that reflects the pride and spirit of our community. At L&F Distributors, we are proud to support WBCA and join our city in celebrating an event that continues to showcase the very best of Laredo.” Steve LaMantia, Vice President and Partner of L&F Distributors said.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) was established on September 29, 1899, to support U.S. veterans who served in a foreign conflict. It has since grown to a notable organization advocating for rights and benefits of all veterans.
The VFW Congressional Charter was incorporated on May 28, 1936 as it is a federally chartered corporation representing veterans who served in foreign wars.
The VFW’s Mission and Purpose is to foster camaraderie among veterans of overseas conflicts, advocate for veteran’s rights, provide support to veterans and their families, and provide for the communities where our fellow comrades live. Members dedicate countless hours to ensure this mission and purpose is achieved and are committed to spreading patriotism and honoring our nation’s heroes.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9194 was created on June 25th,1979 in Laredo, TX. Since 1979, the VFW has been serving the community and all veterans in any way possible. Throughout the years, the VFW had lost its way. However, three members of the VFW Post 9194 pleaded with organization officials not to shut them down. The three members promised to change their image of the past and were successful in transforming the VFW to the venerable organization we know today. Since then, the VFW Post 9194 has been able to achieve success in helping the community. Some of those achievements include building a home for a veteran who was in need of shelter, donating a monument to honor all Gold Star Mothers, donating turkeys to veterans, giving continuous support to the Bella Strong organization, helping the Boy Scouts of America purchase an enclosed trailer, holding numerous fundraisers for other nonprofit organizations, sending Laredo’s very own Jennifer “La Traviesa” to Paris to participate in the Olympics, continuously volunteering in community events and building relationships with other organizations to help strengthen the community. The success of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9194 comes down to the members who have unselfishly given their hearts, time and effort to the cause. For these reasons and more, VFW has and will continue to succeed with the promise to always be there for the community when they need them the most.
Their core values:
• Always put the interests of members first
• Promote patriotism
• Honor military service
• Ensure the care of veterans & their families
• Serve (their) community
• Promote a positive image of the VFW … and
• Respect the diversity of veteran opinions
Throughout the years, the Celebration has grown to be over a month long and consists of parades, dazzling pageants, fireworks, a carnival, an air show, a sizzling Jalapeño Festival and much more. Combined, WBCA events attract nearly 500,000 residents and visitors, and contribute an estimated $14 million every year to the local economy.
The 128th Washington’s Birthday Celebration takes place January 15 – February 28, 2026.
