Evergreen band to stage a parade

The D.C.-bound Evergreen High School Marching Band and Color Guard has scrapped an indoors send-off concert, in favor of a better idea.

Try a Tuesday afternoon “mini-parade” through the nearby Fircrest neighborhood, celebrated by local elected officials, media coverage and new donor presentations.

The Evergreen group will travel by bus a short distance to Fircrest Elementary School, band boosters announced Wednesday.

From there the band and color guard will march a few blocks east on Northeast Ninth Street, arriving at Haagen Park about 4:30 p.m. A public salute will follow in the park, which is roughly opposite the large WinCo supermarket on Northeast 136th Avenue.

The group will bus back to the high school and load the truck carrying their musical instruments and other supplies cross-country.

Evergreen band is one of about 100 groups invited to perform in the inaugural parade for President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C., exactly one week later, on Jan. 20.

While their instruments travel by land, students will depart by air next weekend to begin their five-day trip.

Fircrest Elementary is at 12001 N.E. Ninth St.

The band boosters group continues to raise funds so that all 150 students slated for the trip can attend.

For giving details, see the Web site: www.ehsboosters.com.

On Tuesday, members of the Mustangs Unlimited Car Club chipped in $100 and challenged other local car clubs to do the same.

“We are trying to get all car clubs to meet or beat it, just to get one more kid to go,” said Cece Wanke, Mustangs club vice president.