Drumming Up Support for the Marching Band’s Big Trip
Eastern Senior High School’s Blue and White Marching Machine is going to London...
...if we can raise the money to get them there.
The talented, dedicated musicians of the Eastern Senior High School have been invited to participate in the London New Year’s Day Parade and Celebrations for 2026—the 40th Anniversary of what some call the “greatest event in the greatest city in the world.” And the band is chuffed, to say the least. [chuffed, adj., British informal: very pleased.]
Getting a marching band overseas isn’t exactly a snap, however. You can’t just ship a tuba in a tube or fax a sax. That’s why the Foundation is handling donations to make this dream trip a reality for the award-winning Marching Machine.
This will be the first time that a marching band from our nation’s capital will be featured in the London New Year’s Day Parade and Celebrations, which boasts a street audience of over half a million people—with up to 350 million around the world watching on television. With your help, the Blue and White Marching Machine can touch down in England with their heads and horns held high. Yeah, even the tuba.
What can you give?
Here’s what your donation will help finance:
Airfare & Lodging. Let’s get these kids in the air... and into bed at a reasonable hour each night.
Instrument rehabilitation. The snares need repairs and the tubas have boo-boos.
Uniform upgrades. The band will look spiffy in their new performance uniforms, but they are in need of travel attire—coordinated sweatsuits and such to represent the U.S. as they make their way around the U.K.
Photos of Eastern Senior High School Marching Band Courtesy of Andrew Lightman - @HillRagDC