EVANS, Ga. () – Lakeside High School’s marching band is on the cusp of an extraordinary milestone, as each practice session readies them for a landmark performance.
In just a few days, these dedicated students will leave their practice field behind and head to Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. There, they will proudly represent the CSRA at America’s 250th anniversary celebration.
The thrill of being chosen for this event is something student Tavanna Mindingalo vividly recalls. She remembers the excitement of the moment when the news was announced.
“I was with some friends when Mr. Whitmore appeared, decked out in red, white, and blue, holding a flag,” she recalled. “He shared the news with us, and I realized it was an amazing opportunity,” she said.
The journey to this point has been years in the making. According to Jared Best, Lakeside High School’s Band Director, the planning and preparation for this momentous trip were set in motion long ago.
“We had to get board approved two years ago,” he said. “We announced it to the kids spring of 25 that this was happening to give them time to plan and then we’ve been kind of strategic with some of the decisions around how the trip‘s gonna work.”
As the students prepare to head to Washington, Best said he hopes they remember the generations of band members who helped make this opportunity possible.
“I hope that my students can see that this opportunity that really this reward for the hard work that they’ve done also hinges a lot on the people that came before them,” he said.
Current drum major Samantha Smith said she understands the significance of carrying on that legacy and is grateful to those who came before her.
“I am fully aware that this was something that the past drum majors before me were able to help lead our brand to do great things like this and I’m just really grateful that I get to be a part of that,” she said.
From practice to the nation’s capital, Lakeside High School’s marching band says it is ready to make the community proud during the country’s milestone celebration.