MANHATTAN (MONTANA) — Everyone knows about the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade - and Kelsey Myers of Manhattan is the only high school cheerleader in the entire state of Montana to get to march in it this year.
"I am beyond excited," says Kelsey. "There's no words."
"I've watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade since, you know, I could remember," Myers says. "I always grew up watching it. And I was like that'd be so cool to be in that one day and I just never thought it would happen."
Last year, with help from her community and her mother at her side, Myers achieved that dream. Joining more than 550 other cheerleaders from across the country, the Manhattan native took the Big Apple in style.
"It was amazing, just being in New York City, you know, coming from a small town," Myers says. "It was overwhelming the first couple of days but I love it now and I'm so excited to go back."
The program is called "Spirit of America," bringing together cheerleaders for a week of intensive, nine hour day training sessions.
Her high school principal, Jason Slater, said, "She came in at the beginning of the school year and wanted a way to recognize all kids, not just one segment of kids but all kids," Slater says.
Kelsey leaves Thursday morning for the Big Apple. While she’s missing the Big Game (Manhattan takes on Eureka for the Class B state football title), she’s rooting from afar.
"I'll definitely be cheering on our football boys from New York City," Myers says. "Follow your dreams. Just get out there and do what you want to do."
