>> Rhonda: WE ARE THREE WEEKS AWAY.
AWAY. THIS WILL BE THE SCENE ALONG
WOODWARD AVENUE IN DETROIT FOR
AMERICA’S THANKSGIVING PARADE
PRESENTED BY ART VAN, AS IT
MARCHES DOWN THE HISTORIC
WOODWARD AVENUE.
WOODWARD AVENUE. >> Evrod: AND THIS MORNING, WE
HAVE A FIRST LOOK AT ONE OF THE
NEW FLOATS THAT WILL BE JOINING
IN ON ALL OF THE FUN.
NICK MONACELLI IS THERE LIVE AT
THE PARADE HEADQUARTERS FOR THE
BIG REVEAL.
BIG REVEAL. THE CEO TONY MICHAELS AND A
FAMILIAR FACE RIGHT NEXT TO HIM.
>> Rhonda: WHAT DO WE HAVE,
NICK?
NICK? >> Nick: GOOD MORNING TO
EVERYBODY!
EVERYBODY! TONY MICHAELS PROMISES ME IT
WILL BE WARMER THAN IT IS RIGHT
NOW, RIGHT?
NOW, RIGHT? >> A LOT WARMER, A LOT WARMER!
[LAUGHTER]
[LAUGHTER] >> Nick: YOU WANT TO UNVEIL THIS
THING.
THING. >> WE’RE READY TO UNVEIL THE
HUNTINGTON BANK FLOAT.
>> Nick: HERE WE GO.
>> ONE, TWO, THREE... GO!
[CHEERING]
[CHEERING] >> Nick: LOOK AT THAT!
THE BRAND-NEW HUNTINGTON BANK
FLOAT.
FLOAT. WE HAVE SANDY AND ERIC,
PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE VICE
PRESIDENT OF HUNTINGTON BANK.
CAN YOU TELL US WHAT THE DESIGN
PURPOSE WAS AND WHY YOU WENT
WITH THIS?
WITH THIS? >> IT’S ALL ABOUT LOOKING OUT
FOR PEOPLE, WHICH IS OUR
PURPOSE.
PURPOSE. YOU CAN SEE, AS YOU GO THROUGH
THE FLOAT AND AS WE WALK DON
HERE, IT’S DOING RANDOM ACTS OF
KINDNESS, GIVING PENS WHEN
SOMEONE NEEDS IT, GIVING OUT
UMBRELLAS, HELPING SMALL
BUSINESSES.
BUSINESSES. WE’RE THE NUMBER ONE LENDER IN
THE COUNTRY FOR SMALL
BUSINESSES.
BUSINESSES. AND THIS IS ALL ABOUT HELPING
BUSINESSES THRIVE, STRENGTHENING
THE COMMUTERS WE SERVE AND JUST
LOOKING OUT FOR EVERYONE,
WHEREVER THEY’RE FROM, EVERYONE
IS WELCOME.
IS WELCOME. >> Nick: AND WE TALKED ABOUT IT
THERE, BUT YOU GUYS ARE A HUGE
STAPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR YOU TO
BE A PART OF IT?
>> WE’RE SO HONORED TO BE A PART
OF IT.
OF IT. THIS FLOAT WILL GIVE US A WHOLE
NEW ELEVATION OF WHO WE ARE IN
THE COMMUNITY.
THE COMMUNITY. LOOK AT THE SMALL BUSINESS
SECTION.
SECTION. >> Nick: SHOW ME.
>> WE’RE KNOWN FOR OUR SMALL
BUSINESS FINANCING THROUGHOUT
THE ENTIRE MIDWEST AND THE
NUMBER ONE SBA LENDER IN THE
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. >> Nick: ALL THESE CHARACTERS
ARE SMALL BUSINESSES?
>> YOU CAN SEE THIS IS WHAT WE
DO, GIVE PEOPLE THEIR DREAMS BY
FINANCING THEIR SMALL
BUSINESSES.
BUSINESSES. >> Nick: IN A CITY LIKE OURS
THAT’S ON THE REBOUND, IT’S NICE
WHO WILL GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO
SOMEONE WITH A DREAM, RIGHT?
>> AND IT’S BUSINESSES, OF
COURSE, BUT INDIVIDUALS,
CONSUMERS AS WELL.
WE WANT TO LISTEN TO YOUR STORY
AND THEN MAKE YOUR DREAM COME
TRUE.
TRUE. >> Nick: JIM IS OVER THERE.
JIM, COME BACK OVER HERE.
HE CAN’T HEAR BECAUSE OF THE
MUSIC IN THE BACKGROUND.
>> GOOD MORNING!
>> AND IT PUTS A SPOTLIGHT ON
ALL THE PEOPLE WE SERVE AND THE
FACT WE DO LOOK OUT FOR PEOPLE.
SO THAT’S WHO WE SPOTLIGHT AT
OUR BRANCHES EVERY DAY.
>> THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE’RE
SEEING THIS FLOAT.
TONY MICHAELS SENT ME THE DREAM
PLATFORM AND SAID, WE’RE ALMOST
THERE.
THERE. I SAID, THAT’S NOT FUNNY!
[LAUGHTER]
[LAUGHTER] >> WE’RE AMAZED AND WE LOVE IT
BECAUSE IT REPRESENTS EVERYTHING
WE ARE.
WE ARE. >> Nick: AND THANKS FOR GETTING
UP.
UP. EVROD, RHONDA, WHAT A FANTASTIC
MORNING IT IS!
AND IT SEEMS LIKE IT’S FAR AWAY,
BUT THAT PARADE, ONLY THREE
WEEKS, AND THE THREE OF US, WE
WILL BE WARM, I PROMISE!
50 DEGREES, MAYBE?
>> Rhonda: THAT WOULD BE
AMAZING!
AMAZING! BIG THANKS AND CONGRATULATIONS
TO HUNTINGTON BANK.
THE FLOAT IS GORGEOUS!
BARELY FITS IN THERE.
I LOVE ALL THE FACES AND THE
PEOPLE ON IT.
CREATING THOSE IS A FEAT.