Opportunity of a lifetime

The Hahnville High School Hi-Steppers dance team has been invited to participate in the 2009 Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade in New York City in November. This is the first time in school history that the team has been asked to be part of the event. The Hi-Ste

Hahnville High’s Hi-Stepper dance team will perform as the nation watches in the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade

The Hahnville Hi-Steppers will be extra busy this summer as they prepare for the fall.

In July the group will participate in the American All-Stars Dance Camp at Nicholls State University, host their popular Kiddie Camp July 21 through 24 from 9 a.m. to noon, and practice with the HHS band for its field show during band camp.

But in addition to all those annual activities, this summer the Hi-Steppers and their parents will also be raising funds to go to New York City as the dance team members will perform in the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Hi-Steppers sponsor, Holley Johnson, announced the news to the Hi-Steppers Parent Club in May.

“This is a great opportunity for our girls to perform in a parade that’s watched across the country,” said Johnson.

She explained that the girls will learn choreography from a professional choreographer and perform with members of other dance teams.

While the opportunity is great, so is the cost involved. Therefore, parents quickly started fundraising efforts.

“We have begun work on several fundraising activities for this summer, including a car wash, a parents night out, a garage sale on June 27, and a ‘green’ fundraiser where we recycle old ink cartridges, cell phones, digital cameras, and other electronics and receive funds in return,” explained Brett Cazenave, parent club fundraising coordinator.

Many of these efforts will require the Hi-Steppers themselves to work hard to raise money, but the dancers don’t seem to mind.

“We all want to go to New York and dance in the Macy’s parade. So, we are all going to work hard to do everything we can to make that happen,” said Tramera Lee, 2009-2010 Hi-Steppers captain.

The group’s first major fundraiser is currently underway. A raffle for a pair of 2009 LSU football season tickets for only $5 a chance. To purchase a chance, contact any dance team member or Parent Club Vice President Gina Locascio at locasciog@cox.net.

“People throughout our St. Charles Parish community have already asked me how they can help the girls,” Cazenave said. “First off, they can take a chance on the LSU ticket raffle.

But here are a few other ways people can help now: collect your old ink cartridges, cell phones, and digital cameras; and come to our garage sale on June 27. Let the girls wash your car when we have our car wash.”

“We want to give all the girls an opportunity to go to New York for this once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Elray Boudreaux, president of the Parent Club. “All funds raised are going into a separate account just for this New York trip and we’re going to distribute it evenly to all the girls who attend.”

As details for each of the fundraisers are finalized, the parent club will publicize them to the community.

Parent club officers for 2009-2010 include Boudreaux, president; Locascio, vice president; Tina Brou, treasurer; and Aurora Romero, secretary, as well as fundraising coordinator Brett Cazenave and publicity coordinator Allison Prendergast.

For more information on Hi-Steppers fundraising activities, including learning how you can support their efforts, contact Brett Cazenave at 985-785-9608 or Gina Locascio at 985-331-1987.