Three cheers for Macy’s parade and Big Apple

“Whom did you meet?”

“Did you see anybody cool?”

“What did you buy? What did you get?”

Belleville East cheerleaders Timyah Wellmaker, Cheryl-Anne Johnson and Alexandria Schaefer, all 17-year-old seniors, fielded a flurry of questions from friends this week. They’re just back from a week in New York City where they marched and performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Maybe you saw them. They were among 546 cheerleaders from across the country who practiced their routine eight hours a day, but still found time to take in the city that never sleeps.

“It was overwhelming when we first saw how many girls were there,” said Timyah. “We tried our hardest. They had given us a video and told us to learn it. Eveything changed. It was a lot to get through in less than a week.”

“We had a little bit of advantage,” said Alexandria. “We were prepared.”

They were either with a chaperone or their parents. Jennifer Schaefer, Alexandria’s mom, and Judy Pattumma, Cheryl-Anne’s mom, accompanied them on the trip. Moms watched the parade from their hotel workout room.

Parade day, the girls were up and on their way at 5:30.

“We waited to do our hair and makeup,” said Timyah. “We wanted to look cute.”

And they did, in purple uniforms with orange stars. Insulated covers kept them warm.

“We had blankets that looked like tin foil,” said Alexandria. “We looked like baked potatoes.”

They recited a series of chants as they marched along the parade route before performing in front of Macy’s. A highlight was seeing hip-hop, R&B and pop artist Trey SongZ, another performer in the parade.

“He was like two feet away from us,” said Timyah. “He grabbed a phone and took a selfie with us.”

We asked the lucky cheerleaders about cheerleading and their whirlwind week.

What do you like about cheering? “It’s fun,” said Timyah. “You get to do things you wouldn’t be able to do if you didn’t cheer. I wouldn’t have gone to the Macy’s Day Parade. You get to know people that way.” Cheerleaders are always involved in a lot of activities, said Cheryl-Anne. “You meet new people everywhere you go. You get good opportunities.” Both have been cheering since junior high.

The sport they like cheering for? “Football,” said Cheryl-Anne. “My family played football.” “I love football,” said Timyah. “If I were a boy, I would play. Dad (Darren Sunkett) coaches. I’m around it all the time.”

What was it like being with all the other cheerleaders? “They were so cool,” said Alexandria. “We don’t have cute little accents like the girls from Mississippi. We were saying ‘y’all’ by the end of the week.” “The Puerto Rican team spoke English and Spanish,” said Timyah. “They could say their cheers in Spanish and switch to English. It was cool. I wish I could do that.”

What did you do when you weren’t practicing? “Shop and eat,” said Alexandria. “We walked a lot,” said Timyah. “The day of the parade, we walked 20,000 steps, about eight miles.” “We also went sight-seeing,” said Cheryl-Anne, who plans to major in sports medicine at college.

What did you see? “The statue of Liberty. The Broadway show, ‘Hamilton,’” said Cheryl-Anne. “We went to the ‘Today Show’ and saw Adele.” “The five-story Macy’s, Times Square,” said Timyah. She and Cheryl-Anne got up at 4:30 Wednesday morning to head to the “Today Show.” “You don’t really feel tired when you’re there.” said Timyah. “You can sleep when you get home,” said Cheryl-Anne.

What was it like being in the parade? “It was nice,” said Timyah. “A lot more people talked to me that day than any other day. They would be holding signs, ‘It’s my birthday.’ We’d say, ‘Happy Birthday.’ While we walked, we had little chants about Macy’s.”

Anything surprise you? “Overall, everything surprised me,” said Cheryl-Anne. “City lights. This is New York. When you get there, ‘Oh my gosh, we are here. It’s happening.’”

How was the food? “I had a favorite place, Ellen’s Stardust Diner. The waiters all sang.” Cheryl-Anne: “Loved everything. Finished everything to the last bite.”

What did you eat on Thanksgiving? Alexandria: “We went to a burger place.”

What will you remember? “The cheers, the parade, the whole trip. I think I took enough pictures not to forget anything,” said Timyah, who took about 2,000 photos. “I couldn’t not take photos. I had to send some to my mom (Shalonda Sunkett) so she would know I was OK and enjoying myself.”

What did you think of New York? “I would go back,” said Timyah. “I would live there if I could,” said Cheryl-Anne. “It was a good experience. I don’t want to go back,” said Alexandria, who sings in the choir and plans to attend St. Louis University next year. “There were so many people. You had to wait in line for everything.”

Any souvenirs? “A mug and a New York magnet,” said Timyah. “Clothes,” said Alexandria. “A sweater, a jacket, another jacket from Pink that says New York all over it. And souvenirs for my brother and sister.” “Clothes,” said Cheryl-Anne. “Insulated mugs and a snow globe.” The trip was expensive but worth it: “That was my Christmas, my birthday present, everything for the whole year. That was my gift.”

This story was originally published December 5, 2015 at 10:42 PM with the headline "Three cheers for Macy’s parade and Big Apple."