LOS ANGELES, Calif. — On Thanksgiving Day the lenses of NBC’s cameras will introduce William Davis, 20, of Dowagiac, to more than 50 million viewers. This local star is a company cast member of The Young Americans, a Southern California-based non-profit performing arts company.

The 2008 Union High School graduate just finished his fourth tour Tuesday night at Dowagiac Middle School Performing Arts Center.

Exact details of The Young Americans’ performance of, “Winter Wonderland” remain a secret until the big day, but viewers can expect to see the bright red Macy’s star as background while 60 North Pole penguins dance and sing their way into the Christmas season ushering in the one and only Santa Claus!

Young Americans, founded in 1962 by Milton C Anderson, is credited with creating the very popular “Glee” and “Show-Choir” concepts in the late ’60s. Since then, the group has grown into 250 cast members (ages 16-23) and has taken their love of music and performing all over the world with their International Music Outreach Tours. Last year alone, the group staged more than 200 performances and music advocacy workshops in 120 cities, across 11 countries and four continents. They’ve worked with more than 300,000 young people in public and private schools and performed for millions of people worldwide. This performance in New York comes 40 years after The Young Americans’ first Macys Parade appearance in 1970, but carries the same amount of excitement for the organization and its members as it did years ago. “The entire Young American family is thrilled to be part of this fantastic holiday tradition. Our performers are coming together after touring all over the world and can’t wait to perform in the streets of New York City!” says Niles’ Bill Brawley, artistic director of The Young Americans. “Above all, The Young Americans are fantastic entertainers. We can hardly wait to show America what we are all about.”