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Detroit
student sees his winning design come to life during the 19th Annual
Skillman Foundation Float Design Contest
Zacyrus
Gaiter was the grand-prize winning artist
Photo
credit: www.tellusdetroit.com
Zacyrus
Gaiter's winning design "Dreams Do Come True" is now a
parade float.
DETROIT
-- A talented
Detroit student was overjoyed to see his artistic creation come
to life for the first time today when The Parade Company unveiled
The Skillman Foundation winning float design at The Parade Studio
in Detroit.
Zacyrus
Gaiter, an 8th grade student at Duke Ellington Conservatory, was
the grand-prize winning artist. His drawing titled, “Dreams
Do Come True,” was transformed into a float representing his
dream neighborhood. Gaiter’s float features a vibrant neighborhood
complete with beautiful homes, a library, science center, hospital,
mall and even a ferris wheel and roller coaster. Gaiter will accompany
his float along the parade route on Thanksgiving morning to celebrate
with the thousands of parade goers during the 84th America’s
Thanksgiving Parade®.
The artists,
their families, teachers and principals attended the unveiling.
Five honorable mention winners were also selected and invited to
see the drawings of their dream neighborhoods on display. Representatives
from Th e Parade
Company and The Skillman Foundation joined the students for this
special occasion.
“I
look forward to this day each year when we get to celebrate the
creativity and imagination of these wonderful students,” said
Tony Michaels, President & CEO, The Parade Company. “The
Skillman Foundation has been an amazing partner to The Parade Company
for nearly two decades and we’re thrilled to add this new
float to the lineup for the 84th America’s Thanksgiving Parade.”
“America’s
Thanksgiving Parade® and Thanksgiving season is a time when
we can come together and celebrate the good things we have,”
said Carol Goss, president & CEO of The Skillman Foundation.
“We’re proud of these incredibly talented Detroit students
for sharing their hopes and dreams in these creative drawings and
know that this new float will bring smiles and joy to the millions
of people who attend the Parade or watch it from home.”
About
The Skillman Foundation
Created
in 1960, The Skillman Foundation is a private philanthropy whose
chief aim is to help develop good schools and good neighborhoods
for children. Though grants are made throughout Metropolitan Detroit,
most grants are directed at six Detroit neighborhoods – Southwest
Detroit, Chadsey Condon, Brightmoor, Osborn, Northend Central and
Cody Rouge – and toward innovative and successful schools
throughout the city of Detroit.
About
The Parade Company
Founded
in 1984, The Parade Company is a not-for-profit organization governed
by the Michigan Thanksgiving Parade Foundation whose board of directors
is comprised of key civic and corporate leaders in the greater Detroit
region. The Parade Company is celebrating 84 years of Parade tradition
in Detroit. The mission is to fund, create and execute the best
family events in metro Detroit. The Parade Company staff, the board
of directors and thousands of parade volunteers work year-round
to bring a wide variety of magnificent events to the City of Detroit,
each year, including the Target Fireworks, Fifth Third Turkey Trot
and America's Thanksgiving Parade®.
FROM
THE SKILLMAN FOUNDATION:
Student's
vibrant neighborhood floats its way into Parade
DETROIT — Beautiful homes. A library. Hospital.
Roller coaster. Ferris wheel.
Those are
the essentials created by Duke Ellington Conservatory eighth-grader
Zacyrus Gaiter in his representation of his dream neighborhood.
His drawing, "Dreams Do Come True," earned him the The
Skillman Foundation winning float design for the 84th America's
Thanksgiving Parade.
The Parade
Studio in Detroit unveiled the winning float Thursday with the winning
artist, honorable mention recipients, their families, teachers and
principals in attendance. Gaiter will accompany his float along
the parade route on Thanksgiving morning.
Honorable
mention winners include Leslie Basilio, sixth grade, Clippert Academy;
Romance Keyser, fourth grade, University Prep Academy; Jayson Maryland,
fifth grade, Farwell Leadership Academy; Bryan Hardy, sixth grade,
Ivan Ludington Magnet; and Francisco Villagomez, eighth grade, Clippert
Academy.
To learn
more about this annual Thanksgiving tradition and see photos of
past winners, click
here.
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