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In just 64 hours, The Band heads for New York City! Monday morning, November 23, 2009, at 4:30am, a huge part of the heart and soul of Adair County will be moving out, en masse, for one of the biggest events in the history of the community, the first ever appearance of the Adair County Marching Band in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The logistics are as precise as any Army's, as a band mom shares in her detailed, play-by-play of what is in store on the six day odyssey, until they return safely to us, Saturday morning, November 28, after an all-night coach ride from Manhattan. By Shamarie Claiborne The Race is on... I have three days left to pack two boys and myself for the adventure of a life time. Truth be known, I am a little stressed but excited at the same time. So many things to take care of before I leave to ensure there is a place to come home to, coupled with the stress of does everybody have everything they need, has made for an interesting week in and of itself. It is still hard for me to believe that mine and Kevin's Dylan will be performing in the 83rd Macy's Day Parade in New York, New York, along with 139 children we know and love. I can't tell you how the excitement is building, not only among the students but the friends and families as well. For many of those going it will be their first time in New York City and possibly their last. Mr. and Mrs. Allen have been working non-stop for us While I have been resting since the money was raised, Mr. and Mrs. Allen on the other hand, have been spending all their free time working with the charter company to ensure we all have a once in a lifetime memory. This trip and the Adair County Marching Band's performance in the Macy's Day Parade will be, without question, a once in a life time event. I, like many others, have watched the Macy's Day Parade every Thanksgiving day I can remember. To see it in person is great, but the fact that my child will be performing in it, I can't put into words the feeling or pride I am feeling already. The pride I feel is for a group of kids that give their all to be the best and pride in our old and new leadership that is unmatched. The work it took to get accepted, to raise the money, to get the trip together, and now to get there and home safely. All this work was directed by a man and his wife who simply love the "ADAIR" Marching Band, I would be selfish if I did not say thank you to Tim and Melladee Allen for all their HARD work and the trip ahead of us. A rough overview of the size of the entourage Now in an effort to include all of Adair County in our upcoming adventure I am going to give you an overview of what next week will be like for the band group of roughly 340 individuals, including the 140 band members. It will be a non-stop run from the time we hit Manhattan. We leave at 4:30 a.m. Monday morning in 7 chartered buses, in which Mr. Allen has strategically placed students and parents to ensure all students are chaperoned. We will be on the road all day, with a layover at Hershey, PA. Tuesday morning we leave at 5:30 a.m. and arrive in the "Big Apple" around 9:30 a.m. We enter the city through the Lincoln Tunnel We will enter the city through the Lincoln Tunnel and our adventure starts full speed. Students will be going to the Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall, enjoying the Christmas Spectacular featuring the world famous "Rockettes". After which, they will be touring the city experiencing such sites as the GE Plaza, St. Patrick's Cathedral, and Grand Central Station. We will then be eating lunch at Grand Central Station, which Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis worked so hard to save. Then, around 4:30 p.m., check-in at the hotel. Now for those who have traveled with the band in the past, you know how interesting this event can be with only around 200 of us. I can't wait to see how interesting it is with over 300 of us. Dinner Cruise and Statue of Liberty Shortly after check-in we board a Dinner Cruise which will allow students a spectator night time visit to the Statue of Liberty and the magnificent skylines. Now, many of the 150 people who are driving, flying, or taking the other chartered trip up to New York, will be joining us for this event. It should be a great night. Practice in Giants Stadium Wednesday starts with practice for the band at the Giants Stadium. After practice we will be heading to Times Square. We will be allowed to explore Times Square for about an hour in small chaperoned groups, and then we will attend a real Broadway Play "The Lion King" at the Minskoff Theatre. I personally have been to New York, but have never seen a Broadway play; my children are excited and, to be honest, so am I. We will have dinner at Planet Hollywood and I must say I can't wait to see them feed all of us in the hour allotted; should prove to be interesting. The day ends with the band members having a group picture taken on Times Square. Wednesday ends early because the band has practice at around 3 in the morning, Thursday, so to bed early! Start watching NBC no later than 9:15amCT THURSDAY PARADE DAY! The band starts the day at around 2 a.m. traveling into the city and practice at Herald Square for NBC to adjust any camera angles and for the kids to get a feel for the location. After practice we all eat at McDonald's on 42nd Street. Then the kids leave to line up and the friends and family go to 42nd and Bryant Park to watch the Parade. If you are going to watch from home, they are the fourth band performing in the line-up and will be on NBC around 9:25 CST. So take a break from cooking around 9:15, or so, and enjoy the show! We are right after the Pikachu balloon and right before the Statue of Liberty Miss America float. Thanksgiving Lunch, then everybody else, but me, to top of Empire State Building After the parade we will have a late Thanksgiving Lunch at the hotel. An early evening trip back into the city will provide the opportunity for the kids to go to the Empire State Building, with a trip to the top for the brave. Now, I must say, I will not be at top of the Empire State Building. My fear of heights will not allow me to take this leg of the adventure, but I will be guarding the front entrance anticipating my children to return from the death defying trip. To close out the day, a late night snack of Pizza before bed. Friday on The Town, dinner in Jersey, then all night trip home Our last day in the city will be Friday, and will be a more relaxed day since the stress of the performance will be over. The kids will get to see Little Italy, China Town, and shopping in New York City on Black Friday. Our last stop in New York City before leaving that evening will be at Macy's for souvenirs from the Parade. We have dinner in New Jersey, and then drive through the night to get home. Shew! I am already tired from just typing it all out; hope I have the stamina to actually live it. The 500 or so on the trip may not be missed, but we are all grateful to this community which has provided these children this wonderful opportunity In closing guys, I am not sure the roughly 500 people that are going will actually be missed, or if the traffic at Wal-Mart will be less while we are gone, but I do know we are grateful for all the help this community has provided to ensure these children have this opportunity. It will not only be a trip to perform in the 83rd Macy's Day Parade, but a trip full of learning and life experiences. Doyle and I will be uploading pictures to Ed as much as possible. We want to include everyone as much as we can. Say a prayer for our safe return and that our children shine for the 50 plus million people who will be watching on TV and live in New York. Hopefully, they will see what we already know: Adair County has one of the best bands in the Nation! This story was posted on 2009-11-20 12:40:11
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