Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) and Macy’s announced the first-ever Girl Scout-themed float will debut in the 90th Anniversary Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, November 24, 2016.
On the float, girls will be “building a better world” by climbing and belaying on giant 3-D puzzle pieces that form a globe, using levers to connect the pieces. The float’s features and activities represent what Girl Scouts past and present have done and continue to do as they take action locally and globally. From discovering new things and participating in outdoor adventures to developing entrepreneurship skills and exploring science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), Girl Scouts are taking the lead to positively impact our world.
“What better way to champion the amazing activities our Girl Scouts do and the impact they make every day than to give their accomplishments national visibility with a float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” said Andrea Bastiani Archibald, PhD, chief girl expert at GSUSA. “Girl Scouts across the nation positively make the world a better place by identifying problems in their communities and developing innovative solutions to address them. Our intention is that, with our appearance in the parade, all girls will be inspired to realize their potential, encouraged to embrace challenges, and motivated to make a positive change in the world—and join us to do so!”
On Thanksgiving Day, an audience of more than 50 million will see a float that unmistakably depicts “Girl Scouts” and its mission to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Along with the giant puzzle, features include two dozen “embroidered” Girl Scout badges rendered in beautiful detail and representing everything from STEM and the outdoors to financial literacy and entrepreneurship, as well as a Gold Award symbol that celebrates this year’s centennial of Girl Scouts’ highest award. The contemporary float design showcases a century of traditions and highlights today’s girls as capable of making great changes to benefit society.
“We are thrilled to welcome Girl Scouts to the Macy’s parade family,” said Amy Kule, executive producer of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. “For the past 90 years, the Macy’s parade has provided unparalleled entertainment for millions of people spanning generations. We know the new Girl Scout float will showcase the fine work Girl Scouts do as they give back to their communities, discover the outdoors, and explore science, technology, engineering, and math. We are eager to see this new float make its inaugural trip down the streets of Manhattan this November.”
The 90th Anniversary Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade airs nationwide on NBC-TV, Thursday, November 24, 2016, from 9:00 a.m. to noon, in all time zones. For more information on Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, please visit www.macys.com/parade.
Additionally, to help the world recognize the contributions Girl Scouts make every day to build a better world, GSUSA will kick off a campaign in the fall that challenges girls to take action by addressing issues in their communities and the world, while encouraging the public to support girls, GSUSA, and local Girl Scout councils.
