An estimated 700,000 people crammed downtown for the Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl victory parade on Wednesday.
Police estimated the number, which is more than the city’s population of the 660,000, was the largest gathering ever in Seattle for the first Super Bowl victory in the history of the franchise.
The cheering Seahawks fans couldn’t get enough of their Seahawks, who dominated the Denver Broncos 43-8 in Super Bowl XLVIII on Sunday night.
The parade began near the Space Needle and slowly made its way to CenturyLink Field, the home of the team.
Seattle leaders didn’t shut down the public school system. But KIRO-TV reported that 565 teachers and 13,523 students were reported absent on Wednesday.
The parade route was not stifled by temperatures in the 30s.
Running back Marshawn Lynch threw packs of Skittles into the crowd. Other players threw jerseys and T-shirts to fans while waving blue “12” flags as a sign of gratitude to the loyal fans, known as the team’s 12th man.
Coach Pete Carroll took the podium and led the CenturyLink crowd in a loud “Sea-HAWKS” chant. He then offered a promise that had the players jumping and the crowd going crazy with noise.
“They have come together to do something very special and it’s just not one year,” Carroll said of his players. “We’re just getting warmed up. You know what I’m talking about.”