The Bellevue High School marching band will be heading to Washington, D.C. to perform in the nation’s largest Memorial Day event, the National Memorial Day Parade, this holiday weekend.
They are the first band from Washington state to march in the event.
“It’s a lovely thing that [the students] can be an ambassador for the region,” band teacher Will Harvey said.
The parade, in its 13th year, draws thousands of spectators as a way to honor those who have served and sacrificed for the United States. The parade runs from 2-4 p.m. Monday EST.
“The National Memorial Day Parade is a moving timeline of American military history, honoring those who have served and sacrificed from the American Revolution to the present day,” as the event’s website described it.
The marching band, comprised of all three high school bands, is a combination of freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors. About 70 students will be attending.
Additionally, about 25 choir students will join the band at a performance at the Air Force Memorial on Sunday.
“We have never gone to the East Coast as a band program,” Harvey said.
While there, students will have a chance to explore some of the rich history and culture of Washington, D.C., as many of the students have never been there.
“Music programs are about creating memories,” Harvey said.
“You really get to know one another when you’re traveling,” band teacher Edd George added.
Typically the band takes a trip each spring; last year they went to Canada.
George said this would be the perfect end to the term, as students just finished up Advanced Placement, or AP, testing, and a great way to “cap off a really successful year.”
The trip cost $1,600 per student, though some costs were mitigated through fundraising events and the band’s booster funds. Harvey said they wanted to make sure any students who wanted to join them on the trip had the opportunity to do so.
In the weeks leading up to the trip, Harvey said he sensed excitement and anticipation from the students.
“They’re more excited than nervous,” Harvey said.
The entire trip runs from Friday through Tuesday.
