For the first time in UTEP history, both the UTEP cheer and dance teams have been invited to take part in the 2021 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, Nov. 25.  

With the announcement posted on social media Sept. 5, both teams have asked for help from the community asking for donations to help cover additional costs not covered. 

“This is a door-opening opportunity for us; it’s unbelievable to be invited to such an iconic event,” said captain of the UTEP Dance Team Jaqueline Reyes. “It feels good to be appreciated and recognized for all the hard work we put into every performance.” 

According to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade page more than 50 million people have viewed the parade over the past 95 years, making it one of the most viewed televised events. With the amount of exposure this could possibly bring for both teams, the invitation is not only great for the teams but also the Miner community. 

“It just goes to show that people are watching everything we do, because if they didn’t, we wouldn’t have been invited in the first place.” said dance manager and spirit operations intern Laura Arredondo.  

Both teams are asking for not only donations but support from fellow students and alumni to help gather the funding necessary to take advantage of this opportunity. 

“If you can’t donate that’s fine; if you can share our post and get others to share it as well, it can open the door for someone to do their part and donate to us,” said Arredondo. “We’re such a family-oriented school and we want to share that family bond with New York and the country.” 

Along with the dance team, the cheer team has long awaited to highlight their talents and spirit with a broader audience than those in a stadium. 

“I hope this shows to the El Paso community that we are not just sideline cheering, but that we are talented individuals across the board,” said Flyer Karly Sanchez. “Not only our talents, but the amount of spirit we bring to our community, and we hope to show that in New York.”  

“A lot of us don’t have the opportunity to just get up and go to New York, so just having that chance to be able to go and to go as a team is just remarkable,” Sanchez said. 

As of Sept. 23, about $10,000 of the $12,500 donation goal has been raised. The UTEP community is asked to donate using the Pick-a-Project link or share with others to spread the word. 

“This is something we’ve only seen on TV, so getting the chance to even be considered is amazing in itself,” said Reyes. “We’re truly honored to be invited and just hope everyone can help us get there so we can showcase all of our talents.” 

Itzel Giron may be reached at [email protected] and @itzel_anahi_16 on Twitter.