Dancing Grannies make a triumphant return after Wisconsin parade tragedy
Betty Streng of Greenfield, Wisconsin, is getting ready for the anniversary of a terrible day she can neither forget nor remember.
"I don't remember anything from that day," the 64-year-old said.
On Nov. 21, 2021, a red SUV tore through a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, killing six and injuring more than 60 others, including Streng, who suffered a traumatic brain injury.
Streng was part of a dance team called the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies, which lost three members that day. But they gained something too.
"When I got home from the hospital, I know I emailed the grannies to say I was home, and they were so supportive," Streng said.
CBS News gathered together a few of the dancers and discovered a bond among them, almost like family.
"I knew they were all there for me," Dancing Grannies member Janis Kramer said. "And that's what kept me sane."
Fellow member Sharon Millard said she didn't think they "could have done it without each other. I really don't."
By March of this year, the grannies were practicing again. This week, they returned to walk the same street in the same parade.
For some members, like Streng, who at one point couldn't imagine leaving the house, this coming out was an absolute triumph. But for all members, the parade was also a chance to send a message — a message to anyone along the route who might be marching down a comeback trail of their own.
"I plan to dance with the grannies forever," Millard said.
Another dancer, Jan Kwiatkowski, said it's a group of "feisty women."
They are feisty role models of resilience, who turned out to be much tougher than their pompoms would imply.
To contact On the Road, or to send us a story idea, email us: OnTheRoad@cbsnews.com.
- In:
- Wisconsin
- Waukesha Christmas Parade
Steve Hartman has been a CBS News correspondent since 1998, having served as a part-time correspondent for the previous two years.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
