The season of Thanksgiving is all about gratitude and two women here in South Florida are grateful for a once in a lifetime opportunity that they are able to share, thanks to their very special bond.
The pair are named Kennedi Duke and Tanisha Cidel.
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Duke went to Norland Middle School and had a talent for singing. At the age of 11, she went to Evolutionary Arts, Cidel’s non-profit, that looks to foster the love of arts in children.
And that’s when their bond began.
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“She is just so ridiculously talented, and I wanted to mentor her beyond just my experience with her at Norland or Evolutionary Arts,” said Cidel.
So, Cidel applied to be a ‘Big’ with the Miami Chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, to provide mentorship, connections, and support.
“And I was like maybe I can mentor her because she was a little at the time," Cidel said.
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And it happened.
“I have seen crazy growth from Kennedi. Just the fact that she is sitting here speaking, right? When I met her she was a little shy, she was a little shy, and not confident," Cidel said.
But Duke said that’s not the case today.
"When I see you work with us and work with the kids, I see how much you love it, and I see how confident you are about it. And it makes me want to do the same thing and I see how you have achieved doing those goals, and so seeing your path I want to do the same thing. Achieving the goals, doing what I love, working hard for what I love," she said.
It’s why, when an opportunity came about to audition for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, they took it.
And now are performing in this year’s parade.
“I get to have this opportunity to do what I love, and not all the time are you going to want to give it your all, or you are going to be tired sometimes, and when you are tired and giving it your all, it really is a pleasure it really is," Cidel said. "I’m so proud of her.”
Cidel and Duke headed to New York on Sunday, and they will be rehearsing around the clock until the big performance. All they could say about their debut, is that they will be at the tail end of the parade, singing Christmas Carols with a celebrity.
