Garden City Middle School students proudly carried their school's banner during the 2008 Steuben Day Parade as they marched up New York City's Fifth Avenue. On Saturday, September 20, sixth, seventh, and eighth grade German students from the Garden City Middle School participated in the 51st Annual German-American Steuben Parade. They marched up New York City's Fifth Avenue to celebrate the birthday of the parade's namesake General Friedrich Wilhelm, Baron von Steuben who helped train General George Washington's army during the American Revolutionary War. In addition to the role of Baron von Steuben, the parade commemorates the many contributions of immigrants of Germanic birth in the development of the United States of America.

This year, three Grand Marshals led the parade. They were actor Ralf Möller, CEO of the New York Stock Exchange Duncan Niederauer, and "Candy Bomber" Col. Gail Halvorsen. Several floats represented the German State of Hessen and its famous sons, including the Brothers Grimm and its temporarily adopted son Elvis Presley who was stationed in Hessen as a GI with the U.S. Army.

Steuben Day Parade Grand Marshal, WW II "Candy Bomber" Col. Gail Halvorsen and his wife, took the time after the parade to pose with the attending Garden City students. One of the high points of the day was a photo opportunity with pilot Col. Gail Halvorsen. Col. Halvorsen was a key player in the Berlin Airlift, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. In post-war Germany, the occupation zone of the Soviet Union included the eastern section of Berlin and the territory surrounding the city. West Berlin was occupied by the Allies. On June 24, 1948, Josef Stalin ordered all land, rail, and water routes between West Germany and West Berlin blocked, preventing groceries, gasoline, and other necessities from reaching the Berliners. Two days after the start of the blockade, American General Lucius D. Clay directed Allied aircraft to begin flying supplies into the city. Over a period of 15 months, American and British planes landed every few minutes at Berlin's two airports, saving its people from starvation. During his numerous flights, Col. Halvorsen noticed German children watching as the airplanes flew back and forth. Knowing they had very little, he decided to create tiny parachutes from his and his crew's handkerchiefs and drop candies to them. He continued this during their many months of hardship, and became fondly known as the "candy bomber."