By By ROBERT BLANKENSHIP
Advance Managing Editor
There are a lot of traditions that come with the holidays and this year three cheerleaders at Escambia County High School will be taking part in one of the biggest traditions of all – the Macy's Day Parade.
Casey Bennett, Karla Martin and Mary Catherine Faircloth will be leaving next week for a six-day excursion to the Big Apple where they will meet with other cheerleaders and dance squad members from across the country to perform as one for a national television audience.
While there, the three Atmore students will have the opportunity to see some of the nation's most treasured landmarks like the Statue of Liberty, Radio City Music Hall and the Empire State Building. They will also be able to fork over their cash at one of the world's most famous shopping venues – Fifth Avenue.
But, it is not all sight-seeing and shopping. The girls will be attending practice sessions every morning and evening with other members of their team to prepare a dance routine for the parade. The national squad will also travel to Hopken, N.J. where they will perform the routine for Macy's and NBC executives.
Sheilo Faircloth, a sponsor of the trip, said the girls are ready to meet the other members of their squad and that they have already started preparing.
The girls got the invitation to participate in the event during a cheerleading clinic held this past summer. Universal Cheerleaders Association extended the invitation to the ECHS threesome.
Since obtaining the invitation, the girls and sponsors have been raising money preparing for the trip. They have held bake sales, concessions sales and have approached local businesses for donations.
Atmore residents will have an opportunity to catch a glimpse of the girls as they perform. The 72 annual parade will be telecast on NBC and the squad is scheduled to be in camera' s view at 10 a.m. (CST.) They will follow the Rocky and Bullwinkle balloon and are called the Universal Cheerleaders and Dance Association Performance Team. The squad is sponsored by Mike Miller and Associates.
They will perform to the song "Coming to America."
The girls will take a flight to New York on Nov. 18. They will stay for 6 days. On the final night of the trip they will attend a performance of the "Christmas Spectacular" at Radio City Music Hall featuring The Rockettes.