She was a tennis ace. Now she’s a grand marshal

Jaime Kaplan, a Macon native and former professional tennis player, will be grand marshal of the 2017 Cherry Blossom Parade.

A state champion in tennis during her years at Stratford Academy, Kaplan played at Wimbledon five times and the U.S. Open four times before retiring in 1989.

Since then, she has taught tennis at Stratford and been heavily involved in the community, helping to raise millions for various charities, including the Rescue Mission of Middle Georgia, according to a statement from the festival. She has been a member of the festival’s board of directors since 2005.

The parade will be held March 26 in downtown Macon, starting at 4 p.m. Visit cherryblossom.com for more information or applications to participate.

This story was originally published February 21, 2017 at 5:15 PM with the headline "She was a tennis ace. Now she’s a grand marshal."