On Thanksgiving morning, millions of people around the country will watch the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
This year, they will see 15 cheerleaders from De La Salle Institute, 3434 S. Michigan Ave., performing as part of Spirit of America Productions cheer team.
They are the first squad from the Chicago Catholic League to perform in the parade.
The school applied to be part of the parade in 2024. After learning they were accepted in May, squad members began fundraising to cover the $3,200 per person cost of the six-day trip. The price includes their hotel, uniforms and other clothing, sightseeing tours and tickets to performances including the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes.
Not all the team members chose to participate, said Jessica Yersich, who is in her second year as cheerleading coach.
About a month before the event, organizers sent a video routine that the girls must learn before they leave for New York. They will rehearse with the whole group in New York and perform the routine at the end of the 2.5-mile parade in front of Macy’s Department Store.
“I thought it was just a good opportunity,” Yersich said. “I came in and thought, ‘Let’s try.’ You can’t get told no if you don’t try.”
Yersich, a former competitive gymnast and mother of four boys who attend Bridgeport Catholic Academy, knows the value of these kinds of experiences.
“It’s going to be great for their resumes, just to be able to say, ‘I cheered in the Macy’s parade when I was younger,’” Yersich said.
Senior Jameela Lewis said she is excited for the opportunity to perform for a national audience.
“We’ve never had this opportunity before,” Lewis said. “We’ve never got this type of attention before so I’m excited for it.”
“I think it is a big opportunity and it’s like a good time to show what your school is,” said sophomore Isabel Mercado.
Her family plans to watch her perform Thanksgiving morning on TV.
“A lot of my family knows about it. They’re also pretty excited,” Mercado said.
Yaretzi Perez, a junior, loves to dance and said she appreciates the work that has gone into getting all the girls from across the country ready to perform.
“The choreographers, they put in a lot of work to give us a dance that we have to learn and I really appreciate that,” Perez said. “I really want to thank them and I want to thank them for giving us this opportunity.”
Like her fellow squad members, Perez is looking forward to seeing New York City.
“It’s like a new experience for me because I don’t travel,” Perez said.
“I’m looking forward to meeting new girls and seeing a new form of competitive cheer,” Lynn Bailey, a senior. “This is like a mix of hip-hop and competitive cheer.”
When asked what her family thought when they heard the news she would be performing in the parade, a big smile crossed Bailey’s face.
“They thought I was famous,” she said. “They are so proud.”