New "Rooted Here" float to debut this year in America's Thanksgiving Parade
(CBS DETROIT) - A new float, called "Rooted Here" will debut this year at the annual America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit.
Designed and built by The Parade Company artists, Huntington National Bank's "Rooted Here" is more than 120 feet long. It represents the bank's Detroit roots.
"The new Huntington float symbolizes our bank's dedication to Detroit. From our commitment to the Warrendale/Cody Rouge and Grandmont/Rosedale neighborhoods to the opening of our brand-new tower on Woodward Ave., Huntington Bank is deeply rooted in this great city," said Eric Dietz, regional president for Huntington Bank. "As the hometown bank of Detroit, we are proud to participate in the 96th America's Thanksgiving Parade and look forward to celebrating this beloved tradition on Thanksgiving day."
The "Rooted Here" float showcases a colorful vegetable garden. The huge fruit and vegetable baskets on the front of the float are large enough to fit 5,000 apples.
The second piece of the float features 150 linear feet of lights creating the water coming out of a watering can. The Parade Company said the third piece celebrates Huntington Bank's commitment to Detroit with a replica of Huntington Tower, the company's brand new 20-story office building downtown. The replica, which is 28 feet high or about 1/8 the height of the actual building, is big enough to have an actual office space on the float. Also on the third piece of the float is a scale model of Huntington Place and the largest TV screen in the Parade, displaying high-definition graphics.
"Huntington National Bank is an extraordinary partner to our community," said Tony Michaels, president and CEO of The Parade Company. "Huntington National Bank is a big champion of Detroit and its neighborhoods, and we are thrilled to debut their new float celebrating their deep commitment to our city and state on Thanksgiving morning."
The parade will be held downtown Nov. 24. The pre-parade show starts at 6 a.m. with live coverage of the event starting at 10 a.m.
For more information about the parade, click here.