Today, the Seminole Hard Rock Tampa, along with EventFest, Inc. and Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla, announced Chief Warrant Officer Romulo “Romy” Camargo as Grand Marshal for the 2016 Seminole Hard Rock Gasparilla Pirate Fest and the Gasparilla Parade of the Pirates.

Seminole Hard Rock Tampa is in the midst of a three-year run as title sponsor of the Gasparilla Pirate Fest. The event will feature the Gasparilla Invasion and Parade of the Pirates, presented by Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla, as well as the Gasparilla Pirate Fest Street Festival.

Camargo was an Army Special Forces officer who was shot in the neck and paralyzed from the shoulders down during an ambush in Afghanistan in 2008. This past spring, after 20 years in the service, he retired.

Along with his wife, Gaby, Camargo now runs the Tampa-based “Stay in Step,” which is a non-profit spinal cord injury recovery center that provides rehab programs and equipment and allows for quadriplegics and paraplegics the ability to stand and exercise.

“It’s an honor to announce that Chief Warrant Officer Camargo will be the Grand Marshal for the 2016 Seminole Hard Rock Gasparilla Pirate Fest and Gasparilla Parade of the Pirates,” said Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa President John Fontana. “Chief Warrant Officer Camargo is a true American hero and someone we should all look up to with utmost respect for his service to our country.

Be sure to look out for Chief Warrant Officer Camargo leading the parade on Saturday, January 30!