THE PARADE COMPANY ANNOUNCES THE WINNERS OF
THE PRINCESS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
DETROIT (23 October 2009) –The Parade Company is pleased to announce that Brenna O’Malley has been named America’s Thanksgiving Parade® Queen and is the recipient of a $1,000 scholarship as part of the Princess Scholarship Program. She will appear on the 12 Dancing Princesses float during the 83rd America’s Thanksgiving Parade® and ride alongside Miss Michigan USA 2010 Rima Fakih and Miss Teen Michigan USA Catherine McGhee. O’Malley is an Oakland University junior studying Special Education and Dance.
The runner-ups who will be named America’s Thanksgiving Parade® Princess and receive a $250 scholarship include:
· Amanda Robinet – Sophomore at Central Michigan University studying Elementary Education
· Shannon Boyle – Sophomore at Grand Valley State University studying Hospitality Management
· Claire Conley – Junior at Oakland University studying Elementary Education
“We developed this unique scholarship to recognize women who invest their time in their community, perform well in the classroom and knowledge of our great Detroit traditions.” said Tony Michaels, President and CEO, The Parade Company. “We were overwhelmed by the response we received for this first-time program.”
This year’s Parade themed, Together We Shine, will feature crowd favorites and new surprises with more than 60 Parade units including floats, balloons, marching bands, clowns and specialty acts. The 1.5 mile-long Parade steps off at 9:20 a.m. at Woodward Avenue and Mack and ends at Woodward Avenue and Congress in downtown Detroit. Hundreds of thousands of parade-goers will be watching as the Parade makes its way down Woodward Avenue.
Sponsor of the Princess Scholarship Program, The iGroup, is based out of Southfield and is the exclusive agency representing the Miss Michigan USA organization. 3dSparkle.com, also a program supporter, will provide the awards given to each of the winners.
The two-hour Parade will be featured on WDIV Local 4 including a one-hour national broadcast reaching nearly 65 million households nationwide. NewsTalk 760 WJR will also broadcast live from the Parade.
For more information on The Parade Company, visit
www.theparade.org or call 313.923.7400.
About The Parade Company
Founded in 1984, The Parade Company is a not-for-profit organization governed by the Michigan Thanksgiving Parade Foundation whose board of directors is comprised of key civic and corporate leaders in the greater Detroit region. The Parade Company is celebrating 83 years of Parade tradition in Detroit. The mission is to fund, create and execute the best family events in metro Detroit. The Parade Company staff, the board of directors and thousands of parade volunteers work year-round to bring a wide variety of magnificent events to the City of Detroit, each year including the Target Fireworks, River Days and America's Thanksgiving Parade
