Winner of Skillman Foundation float design contest sees drawing brought to life

Skillman Foundation sponsored floats designed by youth for last 29 years

DETROIT – With a few days left before the annual America’s Thanksgiving Parade, the Skillman Foundation and Parade Company unveiled the winner of the foundation’s float design contest.

“The Skillman Foundation is happy to have been able to sponsor a float designed by young people for 29 years in a row,” said Tonya Allen, CEO and president of Skillman Foundation. “We’re excited about it and we’re glad that the Parade Company could pull off this fantastic day despite the pandemic.”

The float was designed by 13-year-old John Baker IV.

“I’m very fortunate that it got picked because all of the other honorable mentions were amazing,” he said. “Children are the future of our world so you have to make sure they’re heard.”

READ: America’s Thanksgiving Parade goes virtual for 2020

READ: New Thanksgiving parade float to celebrate Detroit nonprofit’s work for local children

Tony Michaels, Parade Company CEO and president said, “We are proud to be able to do this... and working with everybody involved. This is huge and people need to wake up and watch this show on Thanksgiving morning, and look at this great Skillman float.”

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).

You can watch the full report in the video above.


About the Author:

Nick joined the Local 4 team in February of 2015. Prior to that he spent 6 years in Sacramento covering a long list of big stories including wildfires and earthquakes. Raised in Sterling Heights, he is no stranger to the deep history and pride Detroit has to offer.