The Toro Co. is the official provider of utility vehicles for the 2008 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Toro will join Buzz Lightyear (“Toy Story”), Horton (“Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!”), and the big blue Smurf balloon for the annual parade in New York City. The Parade takes place on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 27, from 9 a.m. to noon, and will attract more than 3.5 million spectators and over 50 million television viewers. The Parade is broadcast on NBC and Telemundo.
Storr Tractor Co., a Toro distributor based in Branchburg, N.J., will provide 42 Toro Workman MD Series utility vehicles for use during the annual Parade. The fleet will help guide the balloons down the 2.5-mile parade route, demonstrating the products’ exceptional stability and traction.
“We are thrilled to support the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” said MaryLou Des Champs, president and CEO of Storr Tractor Company. “It is special to be part of this historic Parade.” Storr Tractor Company has been providing Toro turf care equipment to the people and businesses of Long Island, and other areas of New York and New Jersey, since 1968.
The balloons are anchored to Toro Workman utility vehicles and flown under the direction of pilots and captains.
“Storr has provided Workman vehicles to guide the balloons in the Parade and transport people for six years,” said Ken Indyk, sales director of commercial equipment at Storr Tractor Co. “There is an incredible amount of teamwork and coordination that happens to navigate these amazing balloons.” The Workman utility vehicles provide excellent maneuverability to help lead the balloons down the route.
“The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade officially marks the start of the holiday season, a tradition that dates back to 1924,” said Robin Hall, executive producer of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. When asked about the Toro equipment provided by Storr Tractor Company, Hall said, “We are glad to have all those Toro vehicles working in the Parade. They are reliable and we can count on them to contribute to a successful Parade.”
In addition to the flying balloons, Macy’s will include a Balloonicle, the Energizer Bunny. The Balloonicle, a balloon and self-powered vehicle, was designed around a Toro Workman as the base. On the day of the Parade, Storr Tractor will provide 39 Toro Workman MD gas-powered utility vehicles and three Toro Workman MDE electric-powered utility vehicles, along with road technicians to support the vehicle fleet.
The new Toro Workman MD, MDX and MDE utility vehicles with SRQ - Superior Ride Quality - combine a coil-over-shock absorber suspension design with an Active In Frame™ twister joint. These features deliver greater operator comfort, improved productivity and efficiency gains, increased safety, and reduced job fatigue.
In addition to Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, The Toro Company’s products and services are used at global venues such as the University of Notre Dame, the grounds at Walt Disney World Resort, the infield at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, the courts at Wimbledon, and the links at St. Andrews.