On Tuesday, February 28th, our club welcomed Mr. Gregory Milton, Cummings High School Band Director and four members of the band to report on their recent trip.
Because of our club’s gift of $10,000 to help with expenses for the band’s trip to New Orleans to perform during halftime at the Sugar Bowl, each Rotarian was presented with a photo montage as a thank you. Mr. Milton then explained that of all the financial donations the band received for this trip, the one provided by the Alamance Rotary Club was the largest. He went on to tell the group that while in New Orleans, his band students quickly established a reputation for their exemplary behavior as well as their skills in performing their music and routines. The trip was such a success that the North Carolina legislature will be officially recognizing the band for their achievements, and the local Fox channel did a news story about the drum major. Since the Sugar Bowl event, Cummings High School’s phones have been steadily ringing with phone calls from college band directors impressed by what they saw in these students. Several college scholarships are expected to come to some of the band’s graduating seniors.
The four student members of the band who were present at this recent Rotary meeting each reflected on the trip. They talked about the opportunity to see one of America’s iconic cities, the excitement about performing on the Caesars Superdome field, and the very long bus ride to and from New Orleans. One student commented that she will never forget the sights, sounds and the overall experience. Another acknowledged the value of the trip but recognized that of even greater value was the opportunity to learn from Mr. Milton. It was evident to the Rotarians present the trip was indeed a deeply enriching event from which the students truly benefitted.