The Parade Company and
The Skillman Foundation on
Monday announced the winner of
the 27th Annual Skillman
Foundation’s Float Design
Contest for America’s
Thanksgiving Parade® presented
by Art Van. Fourth grade student
Karayna Wayne (second left) from
Weston Prep Academy was joined
by fellow participants, Tonya
Allen (R), president & CEO of
The Skillman Foundation and Tony
Michaels (far right) CEO of The
Parade Company as they all pose
in front the winning float.
The
Parade
Company
and The
Skillman
Foundation
announced
the
winner
of the
27th
Annual
Skillman
Foundation’s
Float
Design
Contest
for
America’s
Thanksgiving
Parade®
presented
by Art
Van.
Fourth
grade
student
Karayna
Wayne
from
Weston
Prep
Academy
stands
on her
winning
float,
“Let’s
Be
Thankful!”
which
will
debut on
November
22
during
the
parade
in
Detroit.
(Photo
by HB
Meeks/Tell
Us
Detroit)
Winning
float,
“Let’s
Be
Thankful,”
by 4th
grader
debuts
in
'America’s
Thanksgiving
Parade®
presented
by Art
Van'
DETROIT
– The
Parade
Company
and The
Skillman
Foundation
announced
the
winner
of the
27th
Annual
Skillman
Foundation’s
Float
Design
Contest
for
America’s
Thanksgiving
Parade®
presented
by Art
Van.
Fourth
grade
student
Karayna
Wayne
from
Weston
Prep
Academy
was
joined
by her
family,
teachers
and
school
administrators
as her
winning
illustration
rolled
out.
The
float,
which
features
sculpted
children
and a
large
14-foot-tall
globe
with a
smiling
face on
it, will
be led
down the
parade
route by
Wayne
and her
family
during
America’s
Thanksgiving
Parade®
presented
by Art
Van. The
float
also
includes
an
80-foot
wrap
which
incorporates
the 2018
Honorable
Mention
winning
designs
along
with
other
entry
favorites.
“We were
so
impressed
with the
creativity
of the
entries
we
received
from
hundreds
of
Detroit
students,”
said
Tonya
Allen,
president
& CEO of
The
Skillman
Foundation.
“Our
annual
float is
a way to
showcase
the
city’s
young
talent.
We’re
thankful
for The
Parade
Company
for
bringing
Karayna’s
vision
to life
for all
to see
on
Thanksgiving
morning.”
“We are
grateful
for The
Skillman
Foundation’s
continued
support
of the
parade
and this
fabulous
and
beloved
float
design
contest,”
said
Tony
Michaels,
president
& CEO of
The
Parade
Company.
“It’s a
special
day at
The
Parade
Company
each
year to
see
these
young,
talented
students
and
their
families
celebrate
their
creativity
and
imaginations.
We are
thrilled
to
feature
the
winners’
design
in
America’s
Thanksgiving
Parade
presented
by Art
Van.”
The
Annual
Skillman
Foundation’s
Float
Design
Contest
provides
Detroit
students,
from
grades
four
through
eight,
an
opportunity
to
design a
float to
appear
in
America’s
Thanksgiving
Parade®
presented
by Art
Van.
Five
2018
honorable
mention
winners
were
also
selected
and
invited
to see
their
designs
on
display.
The
students
include:
•
Jessica
Mason –
Fisher
Magnet
Upper
Academy,
8th
Grade
“Dream
Big”
• Felix
Reed –
Henry
Ford
Academy:
School
for
Creative
Studies,
7th
Grade
“The
Thankful
Thanksgiving
Tree”
• Ariana
Sparks –
Bates
Academy,
8th
Grade
“Neighborhood
Orchard”
•
Love-Lee
Ladie
Jones –
Pasteur
Elementary,
6th
Grade
“I’m
Thankful!”
• Juania
Harris –
GEE
Edmonson
Academy,
6th
Grade
“Aqualand”
Celebrating
its 92nd
year,
America’s
Thanksgiving
Parade®
presented
by Art
Van
takes
place on
Thursday,
November
22. To
commemorate
the life
and
legacy
of
longtime
parade
supporter
Art Van
Elslander,
“Art!!
Heart &
Soul!”
has been
announced
as this
year’s
theme.
Gary and
David
Van
Elslander
will be
riding
in the
parade.
A friend
of the
parade
for over
30
years,
Van
Elslander
is
remembered
and
recognized
as a
great
supporter
of the
Detroit
community.
Art Van
Furniture,
now
under
new
ownership,
continues
the
outstanding
partnership
with The
Parade
Company
as
presenting
sponsor
of
America’s
Thanksgiving
Parade
presented
by Art
Van.
Recognized
as one
of the
Best
Holiday
Parades
in the
USA
Today
10Best
Reader’s
Choice
travel
award
contest
and one
of the
best
Thanksgiving
parades
in the
country
by U.S.
News &
World
Report
Travel,
America’s
Thanksgiving
Parade®
presented
by Art
Van will
be held
on
Thursday,
November
22. The
Parade
will be
broadcast
on
WDIV-Local
4 with
pre-parade
coverage
beginning
at 6 am
with
celebrity
interviews.
The
Parade
preshow
begins
at 9 am
and
America’s
Thanksgiving
Parade
presented
by Art
Van is
from
10am –
12pm,
including
a
one-hour
syndicated
national
broadcast
from 10
-11am
reaching
more 185
major
cities
across
the
country.
News/Talk
760
WJR’s
Paul W.
Smith
will
host a
pre-parade
broadcast
from 6am
– 9:30am
104.3
WOMC’s
Stephen
Clark
and
JoAnne
Purtan
will
host a
live
parade
broadcast
starting
at 10
am. For
more
information,
visit
theparade.org.
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