Dinner, family, and the Macy’s parade are part of nearly every family’s Thanksgiving traditions across America. Whether they’re watching the Detroit parade or the New York parade, the Macy’s parade has become a tradition across America. This year though, when Howell families watch the parade, they’ll get a little taste of home when they see 18 pom girls and one jump roper, all Howell students, performing in this year’s parade.

“It’s three miles and over an hour and a half of jumping. I think it’s worth it,” junior Kaileigh Hermann says.

Hermann has been apart of the Jumping Allstars jump rope team for eight years. This will be her second year jumping in the New York Macy’s parade.

“My favorite part is probably the very end when we perform in Times Square. That’s the part that televised and that’s when we can really show people what jump rope is,” Hermann says.

This year Hermann will be accompanied by two other Jumping Allstars members, Margot Moffa and Ben Phillips, along with 97 other jumpers from across the country.

18 of Howell’s pom girls will be joining the 200 person statewide all-star pom team this year as well as they walk along in the Detroit Macy’s parade.

“We perform with the Mid-American All Star pompon team and we go to opening show,” sophomore Bridget Janis says.

Opening show is the performance before the parade begins.

Janis has been part of pom for five years and this will be her second year in the parade.

“My favorite part is seeing all the people and being with a bunch of pom people and walking the parade,” Janis says.

Senior Sydney Ostafin will also be going to the Macy’s Parade this year. Ostafin has been in Pom for six years and this will be her third year in the parade.

All three girls describe their team as a family.

“I like being with all the people on my team,” Ostafin says.

Both Ostafin and Janis agree that the cold is the worst part.

“It’s more fun than hard,” Janis says.

Make sure to tune in this Thursday at 9 a.m. to watch Howell take on the Detroit and New York Macy’s Parade.