Light Still Shines For SPHS Golden Pirate Regiment
Amid the strife we are collectively experiencing we can still find places where light shines. In what seems like a distant time now, in January, Random Lengths News covered a fundraiser for the San Pedro High School Golden Pirate Regiment to travel to Washington D.C. Nominated by Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-San Pedro), the regiment was to perform at the 2020 National Memorial Day Parade.
With the coronavirus pandemic putting the stop on travel and the safety of the students in mind, curious, we checked in with regiment band director, Darnella Davidson, to discover what was going to be the outcome for the regiment and this special trip.
Unfortunately, the regiment did not go to Washington, D.C. this past Memorial Day weekend. COVID-19 put a stop to that.
“We have been invited and rescheduled to attend the National Memorial Day Parade in 2021!” Davidson said.
The San Pedro High School Golden Pirate Regiment had worked hard for this honor. And Davidson was about to see a dream come true.
In the original story she recalled, “I have always dreamed of taking a group out of state.”
The dream came together when Rep. Barragán nominated the regiment to represent California in the District of Columbia parade. But the seed was first planted when drum major, Andrew Soto, senior and intern for Barragán, said that he knew his band was driven enough to participate at the National Memorial Day Parade.
Davidson reported that funds donated to the regiment will be transferred over for their 2021 trip and they will continue their fundraising efforts as soon as they deem possible.
Booster Club president Kiok McCarthy reported they don’t know the total cost of the trip now. They may know in the fall when the regiment has a count of how many students will go. For now, there are no definite numbers but they are trying to keep the cost as close as possible to the original $1,350 per student.
“We have invited all of our regiment students to join us for the 2021 parade, including the current seniors,” Davidson said. “Plus, the opportunity to join the trip will be extended to incoming freshmen.”
Details: https://www.facebook.com/thesanpedrohsgoldenpirateregiment