From Harlem to MSG: Teen singer to celebrate Knicks at parade
NEW YORK (WABC) -- A Harlem teenager who has sung the national anthem multiple times for the Knicks will be among the hundreds of thousands grabbing a front seat to history downtown Thursday, as the New York Knicks drive down the Canyon of Heroes for their first-ever ticker-tape parade.
It's LaVienna Ingram's unique journey that has brought her center stage.
Her voice has landed her center court at Madison Square Garden.
Ingram said the echo made her feel like she could only hear her own voice.
"It was nerve-racking, but I used my nerves to motivate me," she said.
The 19-year-old has sung the national anthem at two Knicks home games and three watch parties.
"I love the Knicks," Ingram said. "They're such good energy."
Which is why this die-hard fan will be one of an estimated million people expected to line the streets in Lower Manhattan to honor the Knicks as NBA champions after waiting half a century, during their first ticker-tape parade.
"We've been waiting for this moment because the Knicks have kind of been down for a long time," Ingram said. "But we still supported them, and that's how we got to where we are now."
She started dancing before acting.
At 11 years old, her creativity landed her a spot with the Knicks' official nonprofit partner, the Garden of Dreams Foundation, a group dedicated to improving the lives of inner-city children facing hardships.
"I'm from Carver Projects, very proud of it, Harlem, New York, born and raised," Ingram said. "But I always felt like there was something bigger for me."
Before the Knicks, at 15, Garden of Dreams arranged for her to sing at Madison Square Garden during a New York Rangers game.
"It was ice hockey, so it was very cold," Ingram said. "But it was like a good cold. The crowd made me warm. The moment made me warm. It was a good moment to live in."
Hearing her voice at the Garden gave emotional chills to her mother.
"I have a sister who died from cancer," her mother, Leana Culpepper-Green, said. "Just that voice. My sister was a church girl, and she sang in church. My daughter sings just like her."
Singing for the Knicks has inspired Ingram to reach higher.
"This wasn't my final. This wasn't my reach," Ingram said. "There is no limit."
Garden of Dreams is helping Ingram carry out her dreams by awarding her a $60,000 scholarship.
She's getting a full ride to Morgan State University, where she is a musical theater major.
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