busybeeband.com - East band accepts invitation

Busy Bee Band & Honeybees
in 59th Annual Toyota Gator Bowl

East band accepts invitation to take part in Gator Bowl

PLEASANT VALLEY
By John Veasey
Courtesy: Times-West Virginian

To march in annual parade in Jacksonville, participate in special halftime finale at game

East Fairmont High School's Busy Bee Band is going "bowling."
Director Earl W. McConnell said the Busy Bee Band and Honeybees has been invited and accepted an invitation to take part in the 2004 Gator Bowl festivities.
McConnell said the band will march in the annual Gator Bowl Parade at 2 p.m. on New Year's Eve through downtown Jacksonville, Fla..
And the band will be one of 20 high school units performing in a special halftime finale during the Gator Bowl game itself.
The Gator Bowl will be televised on NBC.
This will be the first major event since the band performed in the Inauguration parade for President George W. Bush in January of 2001.
One year earlier, it had been in Pasadena, Calif., for the Rose Bowl Parade ushering in the new century.
"We were contacted to see if we were available," McConnell said, explaining that he had been called by Scott Baker who was representing Bowl Games of America.
"They had heard of us before in other events and wanted to see if we would be a part of their entertainment package for the 2004 Gator Bowl game on New Year's Day," he said.
"Believe it or not, Mr. Baker had visited our Web site the week after we had visited Massillon, Ohio, on Sept. 20 for a Band Spectacular. We had placed photos of the event on our Web site and he was checking our Web site and wanted to know if we would be available for the Gator Bowl and would like to come."
He said Bowl Games of America run the halftime events for the Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl and Liberty Bowl as well as the Gator Bowl.
"I think the exciting part about this is the students will be able to be at the game as well as participate at halftime," the veteran director said.
McConnell said the band would leave by bus on Monday, Dec. 29, and travel straight through to Jacksonville.
On Tuesday there will be a rehearsal for the halftime show at the Gator Bowl. A band spectacular is scheduled at a local high school Tuesday evening in which the Busy Bee Band will participate. All the bands will be hosted at the Jacksonville Convention Center on New Year's Eve.
The Gator Bowl Parade is scheduled Wednesday afternoon with the game set for Thursday.
The band will return on Friday.

Story created Wednesday, October 29, 2003.

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