Macy's gives free parade tickets to Sandy victims

Families devastated by Hurricane Sandy now have a chance for some much-needed fun this Thanksgiving.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Macy's will give away 5,000tickets for this year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade to New Yorkers who live in heavily damaged hurricane neighborhoods.

"We hope that taking part in a tradition like the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will make their holiday just a little brighter," the mayor said in a statement.

The families will sit in special bleacher seats during the parade and Macy's will pay for transportation to midtown. There's no application process to get the tickets as elected officials who represent the affected neighborhoods, such as the Rockaways, Coney Island and coastal Staten Island, will distribute the tickets to families.

"It is our ultimate hope that we can provide some comfort to those most affected by Hurricane Sandy and that they leave the parade knowing that our 8,000 marchers, the city and the nation are behind them," Amy Kule, the parade's executive producer said in a statement.