Sept. 6, 2002

Contact: Tom Stidham, KU Bands, (785) 864-4460.

KU to welcome bands from Kansas, Missouri for 55th annual Band Day

LAWRENCE -- The University of Kansas is proud to present the 55th annual Band Day/Night in conjunction with the Jayhawks' home opener football game on Saturday, Sept. 14.

Approximately 50 high school bands and 3,800 student musicians from Kansas and Missouri plan to participate.

Band Day will feature a parade on Massachusetts Street starting at 1 p.m. The parade will begin at Seventh Street and conclude at South Park. Joining the Marching Jayhawks and the high school bands in the parade will be the New Horizons Band of Lawrence, a group for senior citizens under the direction of George Boberg, an emeritus professor of percussion at KU.

At 3 p.m., the bands will rehearse with the KU marching band at Memorial Stadium. Participating bands then will perform a program of patriotic music on the field during halftime festivities. Game time is 6 p.m.

"We're pleased to be able to schedule a downtown parade again this year," said Tom Stidham, associate director of bands at KU. "It gives the bands an opportunity to showcase their talent and the community a chance to show their appreciation for all the hard work and commitment that's involved. Playing at the stadium in front of a big crowd is also a thrill for the students."

The following bands are scheduled to participate:

Atchison High School
B&B High School, Baileyville
Baldwin High School
Belle Plaine High School
Blue Valley North High School, Overland Park
Burlington High School
Central Heights High School, Richmond
Chapman High School
Chase County High School, Cottonwood Falls
Columbus High School
Crest Senior High School, Colony
DeSoto High School
Gardner-Edgerton High School
Girard High School
Halstead High School
Holden, Mo., High School
J.C. Harmon High School, Kansas City
Jayhawk-Linn High School, Mound City
Jefferson County North High School, Winchester
Jefferson West High School, Meriden
Labette County High School, Altamount
Lafayette High School, St. Joseph, Mo.
Lawrence High School
Free State High School, Lawrence
Marmaton Valley High School, Moran
McLouth High School
Minneola High School
Mission Valley High School, Eskridge
Nodaway-Holt High School, Graham, Mo.
Norwich High School
Oak Park High School, Kansas City, Mo.
Osawatomie High School
Ottawa High School
Paola High School
Parsons High School
Perry-Lecompton High School
Piper High School, Kansas City, Kan.
Pittsburg High School
Pleasant Ridge High School, Easton
Pleasanton Junior-Senior High School
Raymore-Peculiar, Mo., High School
Raytown, Mo., High School
Riverton High School
Sabetha High School
Shawnee Heights High School, Tecumseh
Spring Hill High School
Sumner Academy, Kansas City
Tonganoxie High School
Topeka High School
Washburn Rural High School, Topeka
Wathena High School

Hometowns represented are: Altamount; Atchison; Baileyville; Baldwin City; Belle Plaine; Burlington; Chapman; Colony; Columbus; Cottonwood Falls; DeSoto; Easton; Edgerton; Eskridge; Gardner; Girard; Graham, Mo.; Halstead; Holden, Mo.; Kansas City, Kan.; Kansas City, Mo.; Lawrence; Lecompton; McLouth; Meriden; Minneola; Moran; Mound City; Norwich; Osawatomie; Ottawa; Overland Park; Paola; Parsons; Peculiar, Mo.; Perry; Pittsburg; Pleasanton; Raymore, Mo.; Raytown, Mo.; Richmond; Riverton; Sabetha; St. Joseph, Mo.; Spring Hill; Tecumseh; Tonganoxie; Topeka; Wathena; and Winchester.