Thursday, March 28, 2024

Tolar band still earning money for Hawaii trip to honor Pearl Harbor

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Need your yard mowed while being serenaded by saxophones? Maybe your gutters need cleaning as you listen to the Tolar High School band’s flute section?

In short, if you have an odd job on hand (or want a mini-concert), there are more than likely some Tolar students willing to come and do some work as the band works toward a concert trip to honor the 80th anniversary of the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack in Hawaii.

Tolar has been invited by Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell and Music Celebrations International to represent Texas and perform on the afternoon of Dec. 7th, at Pearl Harbor's historic Hanger 79.

Before their performance on Dec. 7th, Tolar students will have the opportunity to tour the U.S.S. Missouri is only a tiny part of the trips’ experiences.

The U.S.S. Missouri is where General Douglas McArthur signed the peace treaty officially ending World War II in Tokyo Bay. Band members will also lay a special wreath at the site of the U.S.S. Arizona.

The following day, the band will perform an evening concert at the Hawaiian Kingdom’s Kawaiaha’o church (chapel of the royal family) as part of the 80th anniversary of Pearl Harbor concert series

It’s a combination of fun and education with more trips scheduled to the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, the Polynesian Cultural Center where seven villages represent the islands, and a tour of the Dole pineapple plantation.

Students will also get the opportunity to climb to the summit of Diamondhead on the Island of Oahu, see the Beverly Hills of Hawaii, and continuing to the Blowhole - where water can spout hundreds of feet in the air.

Also, on tap, students will be attending an authentic Hawaiian luau, Japanese-style dinner, a Polynesian feast where they will experience and enjoy traditional Hawaiian foods, music, and entertainment.

Scheduled from December 4-10, the cost of the trip is $2,500 per person, and students have been working all year to raise money with fundraisers, odd jobs to cover the cost.

The band has set a goal of having all payments in place by Oct. 15th, and Tolar High School will be hosting a 10-band marching festival to continue raising money.

Band director Aaron Noland is preparing students for their U.I.L. marching contest in Springtown Oct. 16, and the Tolar festival will help prepare other schools for their competitions.

“This is one of the fundraisers we are having, and the kids have been waiting on extra tables at work,” Noland said. “I’ve also noticed a lot more lawns around town getting mowed.”

While the trip is geared toward fun and education, the significance of attending the 80th anniversary of Pearl Harbor hasn’t been lost on Noland and his students.\

“We are going to be honoring these survivors for what may very well be the last time,” Noland said. “I think there are only about 15 left, and two of them are from the U.S.S. Arizona.”

The band accepts donations, and checks can be made out to “Tolar Band Boosters” and mailed to Noland’s attention at Tolar High School at 301 Rock Church Hwy, Tolar, TX 76476.

More information concerning donations can be obtained by emailing Noland at anoland@tolarisd.org.

Russell@hcnews.com | 817-573-7066 Ext. 231