FLORENCE – The Marching Pride of the University of North Alabama will be headed to New York City in November to participate in the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.
And, covering the costs of the trip just got easier with the help of a significant gift from a donor.
Briget McCabe, a Florence native, spent time with her late husband, Edward F. Getson Jr., walking the UNA track that was once adjacent to the band practice field on campus.
It was there, she said, she would “listen to the band practice in the adjacent field. We really enjoyed the music, and, over time, met and became friends with Lloyd Jones, the band director. We also had many conversations with the band members.”
Through those relationships, McCabe said she saw the dedication, commitment, and hard work Jones put in to make the Marching Pride a success, whether in halftime shows, various competitions, or other local performances.
As a result, she said the students respond “by wanting to do their best to make (Dr. Jones) proud, and we witnessed a tremendous rapport between Lloyd and the students over the years.”
“I am so proud of the entire UNA band and their well-deserved invitation to play in the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade,” McCabe said. “I am very excited to support them and cheer them on as they go forward with this once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
All members of the band will be traveling via bus to New York City in November, and Jones said McCabe’s gift will help offset many of the costs associated with the journey.
“We are so grateful to Ms. McCabe for her generous gift in support of the UNA Marching Pride and the trip to the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade,” Jones said. “She will definitely have a positive effect on so many students’ opportunity to learn through experiencing a new destination.
“Her benevolence will have a lasting effect on so many people.”
To donate to the Marching Pride, click here.
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