How Santa's ride for Thanksgiving parade in Detroit got an upgrade

Holy Moly, Santa’s got new wheels, which will debut shortly in the Motor City.

When his new sleigh makes its way down Woodward Avenue in America’s Thanksgiving Parade presented by Gardner White before millions, you can thank some talented Ford engineers for getting him there.

Seems Rudolph, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen needed a little help getting the aging motorized sleigh carrying the big guy down the street.

“It broke down three times last year," said Tony Michaels, president and CEO of The Parade Co., who added they managed to coax it along at the time.

Local companies to the rescue

A team of Ford engineers, aided by Roush racing team members (who help customize race cars and more for Ford) along with a chassis donated by Detroit Chassis, built a new sleigh during the summer.

The old sleigh was built on a chassis from 1997 vehicle, which wore out.

“Santa’s definitely getting an upgrade," said Jason Pelc, service parts engineering supervisor at Ford, who joined Team Mustang last year, a group of engineers who have donated their time and skills to help the parade for 20 years.

For the gearheads: The new Ford stripped chassis is powered by a naturally aspirated 7.3l-Godzilla engine.

“It was a donor test vehicle manufactured at Detroit Chassis and the Ford Commercial (Vehicles) team and Roush made modifications to it," Pelc explained.

With the new and improved sleigh done, it’s all systems go for the big event, according to Michaels, who leads the massive logistics and community rallying effort that goes into staging America’s Thanksgiving Parade.

“Thanks to those amazing engineers, Santa will roll down Woodward Avenue for the 100th time!” said Michaels.

The theme of this year’s parade: “This is 100,” which celebrates the centennial of the event that gets bigger and better every year.

Companies across the region have been supporting the parade with their floats, sponsorships and more. There are also thousands of volunteers who make the event one to remember.

Serving as grand marshal – Dan Gilbert, chairman of Rocket Cos. and a major league champion for Detroit, who will ride with his family in a Ford Mustang.

"On Thanksgiving morning, everyone gets to experience the city we love; its warmth, its grit, and its spirit," said Gilbert. “Leading the parade, alongside the people who carried it for a century, is something I am proud to be a part of.”

Others talked about the iconic holiday event, too.

"Ford is a family company, and the Detroit Thanksgiving parade is family tradition at its best," said Mary Culler, president of Ford Philanthropy. “Ford engineers have been volunteering their time, skills and expertise to The Parade Company for decade. ... We can't wait to see it come down Woodward Avenue."

Ford has a float, too. "Ready, Set, Give" celebrates the company's 122-year history in Detroit. It has three platforms with each featuring a Ford vehicle: an F-150, a Ford race car and Ford Bronco, blended with visuals to show how the company is helping in the community.

Gardner White will debut its new float “Reading Inspires A Million Dreams,” which brings storybook characters to life, celebrating the power of reading to inspire big dreams for children.

Gary Torgow , chair of Huntington Bank, talked about being involved and their float.

"America’s Thanksgiving Parade has an incredible history of bringing generations of families together to celebrate Detroit, and its 100th anniversary is a remarkable milestone," he said. "Huntington is proud to be part of a tradition."

Pancakes kicked off the parade season

Every year there’s an event that kicks off festivities leading to the parade takes place.

This year, the Pancake Breakfast presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan took place Nov. 6 at The Parade Co.’s headquarters on Detroit's east side.

A fun part of the morning: watching leaders don a chef’s hats and aprons as they flip flapjacks – and try to impress, which isn’t as easy as it looks.

It was a friendly competition of sorts when Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield, Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel and Henry Ford Health’s Dr. Steven Kalkanis, appeared together.

The mayor’s pancakes were darn near perfect as she poured the pancake mixture onto the sizzling griddle and flipped them. She added that she doesn’t make pancakes at home.

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Kalkanis, a neurosurgeon who is executive vice president of Henry Ford Health, CEO of Henry Ford Hospital and CEO of the Henry Ford Medical Group, also doesn’t make pancakes. Still, he meticulously poured the mixture and patiently waited until they were cooked just so before flipping them and ended with the most perfectly round pancakes.

Hackel, known for his finesse on the flapjack flipping stage, poured the mixture and made his usual Mickey Mouse heads and a snowman.

“I may not be a brain surgeon, but I have helped served thousands of meals for prisoners in jail for years,” said Hackel, who is a former Macomb County Sheriff.

About parade HQ

Tony Michaels, who has run The Parade Co. for 17 years, is continuing his quest to raise $42 million to build a new headquarters. Their current facility off Mount Elliott in Detroit, has been plagued by things like a leaky roof.

The Parade Co., which stages the Ford Fireworks, offers tours and educational opportunities for kids, and the young at heart, and is a popular tourist destination.

Michaels remains upbeat about the campaign having raised $11 million so far.

With unbridled optimism, he’s charging ahead as he seeks the remaining $31 million and is confident he’ll accomplish that goal.

Contact Carol Cain at clcain@cbs.com. She is senior producer/host of "Michigan Matters," which airs 5:30 a.m. Sundays on CBS Detroit and 9:30 a.m. Sundays on CW Detroit 50. See Jim Holcomb of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, Thomas Padden of the Canton Chamber of Commerce, Carolyn Taylor, student at Tappan Middle School in Ann Arbor, Saanvi Rameswarapu , student at International Academy East in Troy, and Joshua Lee, of Huntington National Bank on this Sunday's show. You can watch the show on the two stations listings on Fubu, Pluto TV, YouTube TV and Apple TV. Michigan Matters is posted on YouTube.