Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe DETROIT, Nov. 23 (UPI) -- A group of Michigan descendants of the Mayflower pilgrims said they were refused a slot in Detroit's Thanksgiving parade. June Gorman, governor and historian of Michigan's Society of Mayflower Descendants, which has more than 500 members, said organizers of the 84th America's Thanksgiving Parade rejected their application to participate Thursday without explanation, The Detroit News reported Tuesday. Advertisement "We thought this would be a perfect match for our organization," Gorman said. "If it hadn't been for our ancestors, there wouldn't even be a Thanksgiving." Anthony Michaels, president and chief executive of the Michigan Thanksgiving Parade Foundation, said dozens of groups are turned away each year. He said the foundation received about 150 applications for only 64 parade slots. "We're setting this up to be an entertainment-oriented parade, so we want to make sure everything has entertainment value," he said. Michaels said the Mayflower group also failed to include a video and pictures with their application to show the planned appearance of their presentation.
