DETROIT – With the 2020 America’s Thanksgiving Parade just one week away, sneak previews of new floats are beginning to surface. This year, two foundations have teamed up to showcase an initiative that focuses on the success of Detroit children at the parade.
The Kresge and W.K. Kellogg foundations have partnered with Detroit-based nonprofit Hope Starts Here to create a float that highlights the nonprofit’s mission of putting children first in the city.
The new float, complete with colorful characters and scenes, is meant to celebrate the importance of early childhood care.
“Those first 1000 days ... are extremely critical for the development and the success of children later in life,” said Denise Smith, the nonprofit’s implementation director.
Since the float will be seen all over the U.S. during the televised parade, Hope Starts Here is using their new float as an opportunity to show other cities that Detroit is changing for the better.
“I believe we’re setting an example for the way it can be done,” Smith said. “To be able to visualize that and have (the float) as a shining example of what we’re doing here in Detroit for the rest of the world (to see) ... will be really important for us.”
The annual parade kicks off at 9am on Thanksgiving morning (Nov. 26). Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 America’s Thanksgiving Parade, presented by Gardner White, will be live televised and streamed online only.
On Thanksgiving morning, coverage begins at 6 a.m. on WDIV-Local 4 and ClickOnDetroit.com with a special edition of Local 4 News Today hosted by Rhonda Walker, Evrod Cassimy and Brandon Roux.
Then at 8 a.m., Jason Carr and Tati Amare will host “America’s Thanksgiving Parade Preview with Live in the D.”
The 2020 America’s Thanksgiving Parade presented by Gardner-White starts at 9 a.m. Thanksgiving morning, including a one-hour syndicated national broadcast from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. reaching more than 185 major cities across the country (check local TV listings).
Learn more: 2020 ‘America’s Thanksgiving Parade’ will be live televised and online-only event this year