South Dakota Cure Kids Cancer Hero Rides in Rose Parade

Every New Year's Day (or January 2 this year), people from around the globe tune in for the quintessential California event - the Tournament of Roses Parade from sun-drenched Pasadena.

But for the 134th event Monday (January 2), there was a little South Dakota sprinkled in.

Toward the very end of the two-hour parade, a teenager from Platte got the ride of a lifetime.

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Photo by Diana Erickson

Tennyson Erickson shared a ride with a pair of famous Golden State natives, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, in a vehicle sponsored by Make-A-Wish.

If Tennyson's name sounds familiar, it does.

He's one of the heroes from our Sanford Health/Results/Townsquare Media Cure Kids Cancer Radiothon.

Tennyson was diagnosed with high-risk Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) back in 2007.

READ TENNYSON'S STORY

Photo by Diana Erickson

Tennyson, and his Mom Diana, capped the day at the Rose Bowl game, where they watched Penn State beat Utah, 35-21.

Tennyson's appearance in the Rose Parade was supposed to be one of two South Dakota-related connections to the event.

A pair of B-1 Bombers from Ellsworth Air Force Base was scheduled to open the day with a flyover of the parade route, but because of the impending winter storms forecast for the Upper Midwest, the planes didn't make the trip.

The flyover duties were instead handled by aircraft from Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas.

Do You Remember These 10 Crazy Snowstorms In South Dakota?

Here's some news that some South Dakotans prefer not to hear this time of year. Winter is coming. In denial? The dropping temperatures and early snowstorms out west by Deadwood speak for themselves.

Slowly but surely, people of the Sioux Empire are bracing for colder weather and snow-covered roads. Even though snow will soon be gracing the Sioux Empire with its presence, some snow showers will not compare to these ten dreadful snowstorms that hit South Dakota.

Only In Your State highlights these ten snowstorms in South Dakota as a reminder for people to always be aware of the roads during the winter. These South Dakotan winters can be harsh, which is why it is always a good idea to plan ahead and prepare for the worst.

Do you remember any major snowstorms that hit South Dakota?

11 Famous People from South Dakota

OK, so we're not Hollywood, but there are a number of famous people who were born in the Rushmore State. Here's a list of 10 famous people who were born in South Dakota!

The 6 Types of South Dakota Drivers You Deal With Every Winter

Every year it snows in Sioux Falls. We may live in denial during the spring and summer, but it happens.

When the snow falls on the Falls, life in the city does not stop. We all still have to go to work, school, and the liquor store...um I mean go get snacks.

When you tackle the snowy routes around town you tend to run across six types of drivers in the snow.

Filed Under: Rose Parade