The nation’s annual Independence Celebration held in Washington, D.C., is quite an event. Every Fourth of July, a parade heads down Constitution Avenue from 7th to 17th Street, and the 2008 celebration has a local participant: the Claxton High School band.
Hundreds of thousands line the streets to watch the parade, which includes bands, fife, drum and bugle corps, floats, military detachments, mounted equestrian and foot drill teams, along with many politicians and celebrities.
Claxton‘s “Tiger Band” learned it’s not an easy thing to get invited. A band must get a recommendation from the governor's office. In addition, bands must submit a video recording, photos and biographical information detailing experience, honors, past adjudication results, festival ratings, and more. Marching bands are selected on the basis of overall quality, as well as geographical, ethnic and stylistic diversity.
Justin Burke, Claxton’s band director, said about the invitation: “Ever since I became the band director, making this trip to Washington has been our goal. We are all real excited that it is now coming to pass. It couldn't have happened without the support of Diane Holland, principal at Claxton Middle and Glenn Stewart, outgoing principal at the high school.”
The band, the chaperones, and a large crowd of well-wishers assembled at the school Tuesday night to see the group off.
According to new principal Daryl Fineran, “I think it’s an excellent opportunity for these kids to be invited to perform at a celebration of this magnitude. It will be one of, if not the single greatest, experience of many of their lives.”
Ronald E. McCall, outgoing superintendent of Evans County Schools said: “This is big. There’s been a buzz going around the school and the town ever since the kids were invited to play. All of the local businesses have pitched in to do their part to help make this trip happen."
The band bus left around 2 a.m. Wednesday morning, and is scheduled to arrive Wednesday afternoon at the squad’s motel. Thursday is set aside for sightseeing, because “nearly 90 percent of these kids have never been to Washington before,” Burke said.
The band members and their families worked hard to raise enough money to make the trip. Burke said: “None of this would have been possible without the countless hours of dedication and hard work by the students and Band Boosters”.
The band held car-washes, sold cookies and fruit, and even had a raffle. Still, there wasn’t enough money.
Dr. Joy Collins, the incoming superintendent for Evans County, said: “The community knew that these kids have been practicing for this since way before the end of school. Local businesses realized that these were well-behaved and talented kids who deserved this opportunity to shine. So, they all stepped up to the plate and did their part to make this trip a reality”.
According to Burke, “Houston ‘Hootie’ Hodges and his wife Karen (Tiger Band Booster vice president) placed big jars on their business counters, into which a steady stream of donations was placed by their customers at Hooties Hoagies. Band Booster co-presidents Job and Melissa Gutierrez were seen everywhere around town, talking to local civic and business leaders constantly about the kids’ needs to participate in the Washington parade. It has been really amazing to see how everybody has responded when asked to help the band.”
Claxton Mayor Luther Royal said: “It is a great honor for the Evans County, and especially the Claxton community of families to have their high school band participate in our nations’ Independence Day Celebration.”