This year, front row seats to see the marching bands and massive balloons of the iconic Macy's Day Thanksgiving Day parade will be occupied not by diplomats or corporate titans and their families, but by thousands of New Yorkers hardest hit by Hurricane Sandy.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced yesterday that approximately 5,000 seats in bleachers along the parade route will go to families who have been impacted by Hurricane Sandy. Macy's will even be providing transportation to and from the event.

Distribution of the tickets will be coordinated local elected officials who represent the neighborhoods hardest hit by Sandy, communities like the Rockaways, Breezy Point, Staten Island, and the Jersey shore.

"Thanksgiving is a time to enjoy friends and family and reflect on life's blessings, but this will be a particularly difficult holiday for many New Yorkers who suffered terrible losses as a result of Hurricane Sandy," said Mayor Bloomberg.

"For 86 years, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has served as a beacon of hope, renewal and entertainment for New Yorkers and the nation," said Amy Kule, Macy's Parade executive producer. "I 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 as they recover from this devastating storm."