It’s more of a business trip than a field trip, some 4,500 miles from home!
The Warrensville Heights High School Marching Band has been invited to be a part of the 2024 Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade on Dec. 7 in Honolulu.
The Tiger Band was selected by the parade committee in part because of its “history of performance excellence as well as students who represent the spirit of American youth and good citizenship.”
Donshon Wilson has been the marching band director for three years. There were 12 students in the band when he started. Now? Close to 60.
They’re all working three hours every day this summer to get ready for the upcoming school year and the trip to Hawaii.
“The stories that they will be able to tell, the memories that they will be able to keep… it’s going to be a lifetime,” Donshon said.
The band has a history of winning competitions, and this latest invitation is the latest honor for a group of hard-working students.
“I was like, 'oh my gosh, we’re going to Hawaii, like, oh my gosh,' we’ve got to buckle down, and we’ve got to lock in, and we’ve got to work hard so we could go on this Hawaii trip,” Warrensville Heights High School Junior Nadia Kelly told News 5.
“It’s a family,” said Senior Joshua Johnson. “We’ve built a family. Every year in the summer, we come here with new people, and we just bring them into our arms.”
More than half the band members have never been on a plane. That changes in a few short months, for the biggest performance of their lives.
“It means growth and opportunity,” Wilson said. “And it gives them hope.”
There is a big price tag for this trip, and the band is currently fundraising to help defer the cost. If you’d like to help the Tiger Band get to Hawaii, you can donate here.
