This painting, on the window of HK Beauty Bar, is one of many throughout Downtown Moultrie showing support for Carson Tyler, who is diving in two events at the Paris Olympics.

***UPDATE***

The date of the parade is being moved to Monday, August 19, at 6 p.m. The parade will be held first, and then Mayor Bill McIntosh, along with members of the City Council and County Commission, will sign a joint resolution and Tyler will be presented with a Key to the City.

MOULTRIE — Carson Tyler hadn’t made a single Olympic dive last week, but residents of his hometown were already planning his triumphant return to Moultrie.

Tyler will be welcomed home from the 2024 Paris Olympics with an event downtown, on the square, Thursday, Aug. 22.

“We’ve had many in the community reach out wanting to support Carson, so we thought what better way to do that than hosting a parade,” said Caroline Barber, executive director of the Moultrie Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The event will start at 6 p.m., at the amphitheater on the courthouse square where Mayor Bill McIntosh, along with members of the City Council and County Commission, will sign a joint resolution and Tyler will be presented with a Key to the City.

After the presentation, residents are asked to line the streets for a parade around the square.

“We would love to see people wearing red, white, and blue to show their support for our local Olympian,” said Barber.

She also said that seeing so many windows around downtown painted in support of Tyler really warmed her heart.

“We got local artists to paint local businesses’ windows to support our homegrown Olympian,” she said.

The groups and individuals who helped organize this event include the Moultrie Convention and Visitors Bureau, Colquitt County Commissioners, City of Moultrie, The Arts Center of Moultrie, Colquitt County School System, Moultrie Main Street, Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office and Camille Bowden.

“This shows you how strong Moultrie and Colquitt County are. They are showing up and showing out for Carson Tyler,” said Bolt VanDalsem, Main Street manager.

On Tuesday, Tyler placed 10th to qualify for the semifinals of the men’s springboard competition, which will be held at 4 a.m. Eastern Time Wednesday. If successful there, he’ll dive in the finals at 9 a.m. Thursday. He’s also scheduled to dive in the preliminaries of the men’s platform competition at 4 a.m. Friday, with the semifinals at 4 a.m. Saturday and the finals at 9 a.m. Saturday, if he continues to succeed. The Observer will provide updates on our website, www.moultrieobserver.com.