SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — As captain of the Freeman High School cheerleading team, Alyson Dashiell’s stage is usually on the sidelines, cheering on her classmates. On Thursday, that stage is getting a whole lot bigger when she performs at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
“I love my teammates so much,” Dashiell said about her Freeman High School squad.
The moment she learned she had been selected for the parade was unforgettable for both Dashiell and her family.
“My mom was right next to me. And she said, I got an email. And I’m like, what? And she’s like, you made it. And I’m like, no way!” Dashiell said.
Dashiell was selected to join the Spirit of America team alongside around 1,600 cheerleaders and dancers from across the country who are coming together to perform in the 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
She has spent the past several days getting to know those teammates, exploring New York, and perfecting the routine.
“We went down to NBC last night to the Macy’s, we saw, like all the bands. We had to line up in like a certain order, all the cameras. It’s so crazy. Like, it’s so different than what you would see, like on TV,” Dashiell said.
Dashiell says a big part of what got her to New York is the people back home cheering her on. One of those people is her cheer coach.
“She’s such a leader and we’re so proud of her. And we’re excited to cheer her on because she’s always the first one to cheer on anyone at the school,” said Madison Unfred, Freeman High School cheer coach.
When Dashiell takes to the parade route on Thursday, she knows millions will be watching.
“There’s like millions of people that watch this every year, and it’s crazy,” Dashiell said.
But most importantly to her are her family and friends back home.
“I love you and have the best time. You completely deserve it. Amazing,” one teammate said.
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