This is a fun time of the
year. Summer is officially digging in and Fourth of July is just around the
corner. Years ago, back in 1986 to be exact, the Statue of Liberty enjoyed a
special Fourth of July weekend. After 100 years of salt water and weather
wearing away at her exterior, Lady Liberty underwent an extensive facelift.
The re-dedication party
lasted from July 3rd through the 6th, with a series of concerts, performances,
fireworks and celebrities. The television network, ABC, bid on exclusive rights
to the production and they did not disappoint.
In the Spring of 1986, I was selected as a member of the College All-American Marching Band that
performed at the Centennial Celebration of the Statue of Liberty.
This 500 member marching
band was complete with 76 trombones! It would be my first trip to New York City
that I would remember (I was there when I was four, that doesn't count.) Kim
Stevens joined me in representing Washington State University. If that wasn't
good enough, I found out I was also selected as a squad leader for the Liberty
Band.
As squad leader, I flew out to New York a week prior to the arrival of
the band to learn the routines and music so that I could help teach the rest of
the band upon their arrival.
This was another whirlwind
of an opportunity in my young life. I put baseball on hold for about three
weeks as I jetted to the Big Apple for another experience of a lifetime.
Jim Devitt is the author of the #1 Kindle Bestselling
Young Adult novel, The Card.
He's also a healthcare consultant specializing in helping healthcare companies
and practices develop a social media marketing platform, and maximize cash
flow. You can find him posting weekly to Indies Unlimited
and occasionally as a contributor on Yahoo!
I remember this you were stoked!!
ReplyDeleteGood times!
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