It seems like the stereotypical dream of fame: millions of people watching, streamers in the air and roaring crowds. But for three Revere seniors this year, the crowds will roar for them. Hundreds of jumpers from around the country will join the Heartbeats jump rope team in this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
Revere seniors Grace Berry, Sydney Katz and Anthony Klein will jump in the 87th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 28, 2013. As members of the Heartbeats Jump Rope Team, these three athletes will jump continuously for about two hours, traveling three miles through the streets of New York City, among a group of 220 jumpers from all across the country.
Pam Evans, coach of the Heartbeats, described how her jumpers got involved in the Macy’s parade, which they first joined back in 2008.
“[We had] to apply to be in the parade.  They require a video tape of a performance that you have done, [an] application and a team picture.  We wanted to publicize the sport of jump rope,” Evans said.
After their 2008 performance, the Heartbeats returned in 2009, this time with 144 jumpers from across the country. The Heartbeats will perform for a third time this year at the 2013 parade. This year, Evans and the Heartbeats coordinated and invited all the other jumpers. Evans also decided to give the seniors control of the planning.
“I decided to make [creating the routines] a project for our high school seniors,” Evans said.
The three Revere seniors, along with Highland senior Kayle Timura, planned and choreographed this year’s routine for all 220 jumpers. Additionally, they prepared a one-minute NBC spotlight routine for 72 jumpers. Anthony Klein, a six year member of the team and part of the small group that won the National Grand Champion title in 2011, described the conditioning process.
“The actual planning started towards the beginning of school, but for the last couple months [we have] been going to [the Akron General Health & Wellness Center]. We practice the routine around the track, and we are building up our endurance, just to make sure we last the three miles,” Klein said.
Sydney Katz, a 10-year member of the team readying for her third Macy’s parade, described the issues they faced the first time the 72 jumpers all traveled to Akron to practice for a weekend.
“During a practice, we lined everyone up, and everyone didn’t fit. We had to change the dimensions of all the routines that we had planned for hours, [all] in a few minutes,” Katz said.
The next big practice for the jumpers will take place just before the parade when the jumpers arrive in New York City the day before. There, former Revere student Hayley Demchak will rejoin her old teammates at the parade. Demchak attended Revere High School last year as a freshman, but moved to Michigan for her sophomore year.
Evans summed up why she loves having the Heartbeats jump in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
“When you step off the starting line of the parade, there are millions of people cheering and shouting for the jumpers.  People are hanging out of their windows shouting and cheering for the jumpers.  Most of the jumpers that participate have traveled all over the country and the world for competitions.  However, when you ask them what their most memorable experience is, they usually say, ‘The Macy’s Parade.’  I want to give as many jumpers this opportunity as I can,” Evans said.

After all their hard work planning the parade performance, the senior Heartbeats can finally reap their reward. On Thursday, November 28, after months of planning, Berry, Katz and Klein will jump for an audience of millions.