SAN ANTONIO – Shoebox Fiesta floats and school parades are a tradition for San Antonio schools.
One students at Knowlton Elementary used his float to remember a close friend, Julian Andrade, who died in March from cancer. He was 6 years old.
"I really miss Julian, and I wanted it to be in memory of him, so they won't forget him," said Gabriel Gonzales.
While most kids decorated their floats with their favorite sports teams and characters, Gabriel covered his "Team Julian" float in things that represent his friend.
He added Captain America, Julian's favorite super hero, pictures of Julian and a message on the side, "Fight Cancer."
"Julian was super nice, and he liked to play a lot. He was super fun and he would do a lot of crazy stuff," Gabriel said.
San Antonio police officers stood behind Gabriel throughout the parade, just like they stood behind Julian's father, Jose Andrade. His brothers in blue donated leave time, so Andrade could be with his son for his last days.
Now through the picture of Julian on his shirt and the message he shared on his float, Gabriel wants to help others remember his friend.