Sen. David Tomassoni to be honored in Christmas City of the North Parade

DULUTH, MN -- Former State Senator David Tomassoni, who passed away in August after a battle with ALS, will serve as the in-memoriam grand marshal for the 2022 Christmas City of the North Parade.

The senator spent nearly three decades representing the Iron Range and the surrounding area in St. Paul.

“If you enjoy what you do, you will never work a day in your life,” said Tomassoni during his farewell speech in May 2022.

Before his passing, Tomassoni championed one final piece of legislation in St. Paul, a bill that set aside $25 million in funding to research ALS.

ALS currently has no cure, and the only treatment extends one’s life by just a few months.

Tomassoni’s son, Dante, remembers the moment the state legislature came together to pass the ALS bill.

“When I saw every single yes vote go up on that screen, it was really emotional, and they paused all legislative hearings after the vote went through for everybody to give a standing ovation,” said Dante Tomassoni. “That was one of those things that I’ll never forget.”

Dante said looking back on his father’s career, he’s proud of the impactful life he lived.

“He wanted to do everything he could to help and that did spread all the way down to Duluth,” he said.

Dante believes the holiday season is the perfect time to celebrate his father’s legacy.

“The holidays and this time of year are all about giving. That’s what his whole career was about and that’s how he was as a person. That’s how it was his whole life,” Dante said.

To honor Tomassoni’s legacy, Northern News Now is helping raise money for ALS research.

You can scan the QR code below or click here to donate.

“Having that legacy honored during a parade that celebrates those holidays in the times of giving and caring? It’s really unique,” Dante said.

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