RIDGELEY, W.Va. — A Mineral County high school marching band is heading to Washington D.C. to perform in the 2017 Presidential Inaugural Parade.
The 74 member band from Frankfort High School was selected to represent West Virginia during the Inauguration of President Donald Trump on Friday. The band left town Thursday morning.
“It’s a huge honor to do this — to represent the state, march in front of the President, represent the school, obviously the county,” said bass player Trevor Gravenstein.
The Frankfort High band was also chosen to march in the Inaugural Parade for President Barack Obama in 2013.
“I’m pretty excited for it,” said senior band member Emily Pile. “It feels great knowing that we got picked a second time.”
The band had been rehearsing for the historic event. Band Director Roger Walker said the students are ready.
“Yes, there’s a lot of leg work that has to be done behind the scenes, but to be honest when I told the kids — they’re reacting — that made it all worth it,” Walker said.
Cassidy Aldridge, another band member, said she was “completely surprised” her school was selected to march in the parade.
“There’s so many other schools they could’ve picked, so we were really taken back by that,” she said.
Tuba player Colten Taylor agreed.
“Feels really amazing that out of all the bands in West Virginia that our band got picked, just everything with us being so small compared to other people,” Taylor said. “I just think it’s going to be an amazing experience.”
The band program has received a lot of community support, Walker said.
“The response from our school and our community has just been tremendous and we will do our best to represent our school, our county and our state to the best of our ability,” he said.
Parade participants are selected by the Presidential Inaugural Committee.
More than 8,000 people are expected to be on hand for the parade which will trail President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence down Pennsylvania Avenue from the U.S. Capitol to the White House.
Parade time is scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday.