Jumpers From Howard County To Appear In Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Nine members of the Kangaroo Kids precision jump rope team will appear in the 95th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. Jumpers Emma Breznak, Cassie Baldwin, Isla Gleeson, Evelyn Smallidge, Foster Sariscak, Jenna Meek, John Moses, Michael Laper and Mason Meek will represent Maryland alongside jumpers from 25 teams and a total of 21 states across the country.

Organized by the Heartbeats Jump Rope Team from Cleveland, Ohio, the group will appear as J.U.M.P., which stands for Jumpers United for Macy’s Parade. Starting at Central Park, the athletes will be jumping the entire 2.8-mile course that winds through New York City. There will be a giant spectator crowd and millions of viewers watching the NBC live telecast of the parade.

After arriving at Herald Square in front of the Macy’s Flagship Store, the group will be featured in a live one-minute segment broadcast on NBC national television with an estimated 50 million viewers.

Kangaroo Kids jump-roping coach Nicole Meek told WBAL the athletes at Kangaroo Kids make jump-roping look easy, but "it takes plenty of practice to be a nationally recognized jumper with medals and do complicated tricks."

"All 112 of us had to meet Labor Day weekend and practice for three straight days, and now each of our groups practice a couple times a week outside of our regular practices. We have to jump the three straight miles, the entire route in a choreographed routine and then perform on Harold Square at the end," Meeks said.