Submitted by Fox First at Ten on January 5th
SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. – The good news arrived just in time for the holidays and nearly one year after the Central Valley High School (CVHS) Band Program set a goal to march down Pennsylvania Avenue in the 57th Presidential Inauguration Parade. As the single organization chosen to represent the State of Washington in the march from the U.S. Capitol Building to the White House, the CVHS Marching Band and Colorguard will take their place in the internationally televised Inaugural Parade line-up on January 21, 2013.
With the January 17 departure date approaching, the 134 CVHS Band and Colorguard members who will be traveling to Washington D.C. are preparing for the big event with three final scheduled rehearsals:
January 11 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. -- Eastern Washington University (EWU) Fieldhouse (1136 Washington St, Cheney) January 12 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the EWU Fieldhouse
The CVHS Band was selected from more than 2,800 applications submitted to the Inaugural Committee by the November 2012 deadline. All 50 states will be represented in the parade, with CVHS receiving the solo honor to represent Washington State. There are currently 55 invited groups listed on the official Inaugural Parade Participation list, including only 14 high school bands.
"The talented groups chosen to participate in the Inaugural Parade reflect the spirit, values, and diversity of our great nation," President Obama said in a statement.
The students depart January 17 for their hotel stay in Baltimore, Maryland. While there, the band will perform at the Presidential Inaugural Heritage Music Festival in Brooklyn Park. They will then march in the Presidential Inauguration Parade on January 21 in front of millions of live and television viewers. CVHS Marching Band and Colorguard members will perform a series of patriotic tunes including When Johnny Comes Marching Home, Shenandoah, Battle Cry of Freedom and the Battle Hymn of the Republic. As an added bonus, Congresswoman Cathy McMorris-Rodgers has scheduled a special tour of the U.S. Capitol Building for the students.
"Our band and colorguard members worked extremely hard to achieve excellence, win championships and earn statewide recognition from the music community during the fall marching band season, leading to this amazing opportunity," said Eric Parker, CVHS Director of Bands, who began spearheading the planning process last spring. "We are so grateful for the wonderful staff and administration at Central Valley High School and the Central Valley School District for helping make this experience of a lifetime possible for our talented students."
Central Valley High School serves more than 1,900 students in grades 9-12 and is one of 22 schools in the Central Valley School District. Visit us online at www.cvsd.org or for more information on the Inaugural Parade, visit www.inaugural.senate.gov.
