North Texas cheerleaders race against time to meet Macy's Parade fundraising goal
BOYD — It's down to the wire for a group of North Texas cheerleaders raising money to secure their spot in the iconic Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
CBS News Texas first reported the Boyd High School team's goal in June. The squad says they need the community's help now more than ever.
"Going to New York, being in the Macy's parade, being in that cheer uniform that says Macy's – it's a dream come true," said senior Mady Brock. "It's what every cheerleader wants."
Ever since the team earned an invitation to be a part of the legendary parade, they've been fundraising through events, raffles, and partnerships with local businesses.
"So we've just been really trying to get there, so we can have that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said freshman Addison Alexander.
But the clock is ticking. All the money must be in by Sept. 1.
The team has raised about $25,000 for the trip but still needs another $18,000. If they can't come up with that money, it will be up to individual families to make up the difference.
"Then the family has to make a tough choice of whether they can afford to put forth the money to have their cheerleader go, or they'll have to stay behind," said Renee Addington, the parent leading the fundraising efforts.
They aren't giving up hope yet. The squad's last big fundraiser is Monday night, and they're still pounding the pavement to find donors.
"We'd be so honored to have people help us get there, because we want to so bad," said junior Karleigh Evans. "Our entire squad and everything, we just want to go so bad. We'd be so thankful."
It's a chance to represent North Texas and their beloved hometown in front of a national audience.
"It's like getting the name of our school out there, so people know that we are a town, and we're proud to be Boyd," Evans said.
If you're interested in helping the cheerleaders meet their fundraising goal, you can reach out to Boydhscheerfundraising@gmail.com.
You can also support their fundraiser on Monday, Aug. 12 at 7 p.m. at Boyd High School. It's the district's annual "Meet the Jackets" event, where the community gets to celebrate the school's teams. The cheerleading squad will be running the concession stand to raise money for the New York trip.
