It’s history in the making as the Carolina Band heads to New York City to perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade.
Over 300 students packed the University of South Carolina parking lot on Washington Street during their send-off celebration, where band members soaked up the last few moments before heading to the Big Apple.
“I’m super excited I mean to start out here, we took a picture on the state house steps freshman year and to know that hey we are here now, and we get to do something no one else has done before we are just over the moon to do it," said Samantha Timmerman, a senior at USC.
Emily Sheppard, a freshman, is excited to participate in this opportunity of a lifetime and travel north for the first time.
“I am very excited and nervous I am feeling all of the feelings, but I am ready to have this new experience because I have never been to New York or really anywhere other than home, so I am very excited," she said.
The Turner family was the send-off for her son, a freshman. His mom said she is immensely proud of her son, who is traveling North for the first time without them.
"He was still in high school when he found out, and when he got accepted into the music school here at USC, I was so proud," she said. "Now, he is going to New York without us for the first time. I am scared for him to be alone but still proud that is happening for him."
Band Director Jay Jacobs said the band was notified of their performance last fall and hit the ground running to prepare.
“The parade route is a little over two miles, which will take us about an hour to get through that. It moves pretty quickly at the beginning it starts and stops as we go and then right at the very end our performance is 75 seconds from start off to finish then we wrap it up and take a big group picture on the old post office steps," Jacob says.
He adds that he appreciates the last-minute funding that came in to make the trip possible.
Proud parents said they plan to host watch parties to see their kids, while others will join them later in the week.
“We’ll be home with a watch party a bunch of parents will be coming over to watch the parade and we’ll be excited to see them when they get up their in front of Macy’s," said one dad.
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place Thursday at 8:30 a.m.
