Dawn Staley dished out $25,000 for a Thanksgiving Day South Carolina Special
South Carolina coach Dawn Staley donated $25,000 to help send the school's marching band to New York City for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Last week, the university announced that the South Carolina Marching Band would be participating in the iconic holiday parade for the first time.
Staley, along with Gamecocks football coach Shane Beamer and singer Darius Rucker, each contributed $25,000 for the band's travel expense to make the historic trip.
"Shane Beamer and Dawn Staley have always acknowledged the support of The Carolina Band and the USC Basketball Band. Darius’s donation highlights the bond that USC alums feel for the university and The Carolina Band," Dr. Jay Jacobs, director of Athletic Bands said.
"Support from these three Carolina legends will help make this a truly unforgettable experience for our students and an exceptional showcase for USC."
Dawn Staley retweeted a post from the University of South Carolina, which showed several snippets of the band participating in the 98th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Dawn Staley wishes her fans a happy Thanksgiving
After a rare loss to UCLA on Sunday, the defending national champion South Carolina bounced back in a big way on Thanksgiving Day, taking down No. 15 Iowa State 76-36 in the Fort Myers Tip-Off.
Earlier that day, Dawn Staley shared holiday wishes with fans and the team on X.
"Happy Thanksgiving to you all! We all have a lot to be thankful for so giving thanks to you for being you!" she tweeted.
The win against the Cyclones saw the Gamecocks rebound in dominant fashion after their 77-62 defeat to UCLA, which was their first loss in their last 44 games dating back to the 2022-23 season.
Staley and her coaching staff wore themed apparel for the game — a green jacket with a clear six-word message.
"Pay some respect to women's sport," it read.
Her team also came out firing on all cylinders in Fort Myers, jumping out to a 35-9 lead after second quarter. The Gamecocks cruised the rest of the way in a game where they limited Iowa State to just 23.1% shooting for the field and forced 19 turnovers.
"Bask in the glory of a defeat and you handle a defeat. And you handle it with grace, but you handle it with learning lessons," Staley said postgame.
South Carolina, which started the season No. 1 in the AP Poll, has dropped to No. 4. It will take on Purdue on Saturday in the second game of the Fort Myers Tip-Off.