BROCKWAY, Pa. (EYT) – Two Brockway Area Junior-Senior High School cheerleaders had the chance to be on television as part of the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Parade.
(PICTURED ABOVE: All American Cheerleaders at the Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia. Photo submitted by Salem Murray.)
Salem Murray, a senior, and Madelyn Newcome, a junior, were part of the All-American Cheerleading Team.
In order to get on the team, the girls had to try-out at the end of cheerleading camp in the summer. The visiting instructor graded each girl on a rubric, and Murray and Newcome were two of the four who made it.
“They give you a booklet for everything you can go to,” Murray said, referring to the All-American Team. “Since Philly was closest to us, we figured it would be the cheapest. Our cheerleading camp was pretty late compared to other teams, so we didn’t have much time to do fundraisers.”
The parade was an opportunity to cheer with girls from around the state, but only the two girls were able to make the trip because the other two had plans for Thanksgiving.
The girls had to raise money to register, as well as the money needed to go.
“We had to get fee money, so we sat outside Martino’s Bilo to raise that,” Murray said. “Then, we sold candy bars.”
“We also sent letters to businesses in the area to ask for donations,” Newcome added.
The girls described the parade itself as an incredible experience, but they also said it was very cold.
Salem Murray and Madelyn Newcome.
“Just being around all of those girls doing the same thing was amazing,” Newcome said. “We all had a great time in the parade. We went through the whole parade route, so it took about two hours. It was really, really windy – there was a wind advisory, so it was cold. We just smiled through the pain.”
“It was so cool!” Murray exclaimed. “Oh, my gosh! The first night we got there, we were chatting with the girls, and I was one of the oldest because I’m a senior. A lot of them were eighth graders! Then, we were on television, and it was overwhelming to me. It was so cold!”
Both girls have been cheering for a while, so they said the routine was simple to accommodate the short practice time and the age of the other girls in the group.
Murray did not have family at the parade, but they did see her on television. Newcome’s parents made it to Philadelphia.
“It was really exciting to see them standing there,” Newcome said. “I didn’t know where they would be, so I got really excited when I found them.”
With the experience done, both girls said that it was a fantastic experience that, if given the opportunity, they would do again.
“After doing it, I was very proud,” Murray said. “People asked, ‘What did you do over Thanksgiving break?’ I get to say, ‘I was in a parade in Philadelphia!’ It was a super-cool experience.”
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