Millions of families around the country gather around the television each year to watch the iconic Macy’s Day Parade on Thanksgiving morning, and this year, students of New Prairie might see a familiar face.
According to the Macy’s Day Parade website, every year around 50 million people watch the parade on TV and around 3 million line the streets of New York City to watch the parade live.
In a survey conducted of 81 New Prairie students and staff members, 64.2% said that they watch the parade every year, 27.2% said they only watch it sometimes, and 8.6% never watch it.
One of the most memorable parts of the Parade is Macy’s Great American Marching Band. According to The Macy's Great American Marching Band website, The Band is composed completely of high school students from all around the country who are selected by submitting an audition tape. The band is composed of 185 musicians and 40 flag dancers.
This year New Prairie’s own, Senior Ella Jasnieski, was one of the few selected to participate in this once in a lifetime event. Jasnieski will be marching in the band this Thanksgiving playing the clarinet.
“I've been playing clarinet since the summer after third grade, so nine years,” said Jasnieski.
Jasnieski has also played the piano for ten years. She started playing the trumpet in sixth grade but stopped after her freshman year, and last year she started playing the alto sax.
New Prairie High School has sent other students to the parade in previous years including Jacob Kessler, Haley Demartinez, and Jacob Sherrick.
Jacob Sherrick is a junior at who was a member of the Macy's Great American Marching Band last year where he played percussion.
To play in the parade band members have to pay upwards of $1,000 with the exception of donations from supporters.
The money is used to cover hotel, food, transportation from the hotel to the parade, the entry fee to the parade, and some sightseeing opportunities like seeing a live Broadway show.
To apply to march in the parade, band members have to fill out an application over the summer. They also have to submit a video of themselves performing a solo on the instrument that they are going to perform with and submit a second video of them marching.
Jasnieski found out she was one of the few selected to march in the parade in early October through an email.
Jasnieski will leave for New York on November 23 and stay for a week. She will perform in the parade on November 28, which is on Thanksgiving day.