Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!enterpoop.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.metro From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Va. Patriots to march in Macy's parade Date: Thu, 26 Nov 92 15:00:28 EST Message-ID: Lines: 94 \SE B;METROPOLITAN \HD Va. Patriots to march in Macy's parade \BY Darryl Lynette Figueroa \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES As parades go, Macy's Thanksgiving Day show is about as good as it gets, with celebrities, more than two dozen floats, more than 2 million lively spectators on the streets of Manhattan and a television audience topping 35 million. Add to that list the Colonial Regiment of the Northern Virginia Patriots, a marching band with 130 youngsters in today's parade. The appearance is the group's third in the Macy's parade and is something of a coup, coming just four years after the most recent appearance and six years after the first. Parade participants generally wait at least five years between appearances, band officials said. "We just really lucked out on this one," said Sam Evans, who with his wife, Nanette, founded the band in 1965. It has become the largest colonial band in the nation, but the road to the Macy's parade was not easy. The band performed in scores of local events, the Kentucky Derby in Louisville, the Orange Bowl in Miami and the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y., before its first Macy's parade in 1986. "It's very exciting," Mrs. Evans said of today's appearance. "There's always the excitement of getting there and getting in front of those cameras and giving the kids a shot." The spirited, fresh-faced troupe left in three noisy buses Tuesday from Fairfax City Hall with 18th-century costumes, 27 drums, 15 bugles, four clarions, 20 fifes, a couple of pre-Betsy Ross flags and plenty of rain hats and ponchos for the expected cold, wet weather. Twenty chaperons went along. Band members represent 20 middle schools and high schools across Northern Virginia and five colleges, including the Corcoran School of Art in the District. "We have them from all over," said Mr. Evans, who lives in Arlington. Among them is Rebecca Hart, a 13-year-old blind drummer from Springfield who carries one of eight handmade, 20-by-12-foot flags. Her sister carries one of the others. "Rebecca just gets in line and marches forward. She's a fine girl, hopes to be the first blind astronaut," Mr. Evans said. Marching is not for everybody. Band members have to brave sometimes nasty weather, march and play on parade routes that can go on for miles. The Macy's route along Central Park West to Broadway is 2 1/2 miles; the Rose Bowl parade in Pasadena, Calif., is 5 1/2 miles. Mrs. Evans recalled the band's last trip to New York, when crowds of people suddenly started yelling at them in the last block before the TV cameras. The band had to stop playing, but the crowd did not know that. "Otherwise there can be echoes that interfere with those on TV at that time," Mrs. Evans said. "But the thousands of people on the street, they don't realize that. So they were yelling, 'Play for us, play for us.' " But she said: "The people in New York, I don't care what stories you hear, they've been very polite and helpful every time. They love parades." Over the years, the Evanses have put thousands of dollars into the band, paying for uniforms, instruments and equipment and accepting anyone who wants to join. "We have so much fun with the group that we try not to think about that part of it," Mr. Evans said of the expense. The couple recently won the Presidential Volunteer Action Award for their work with the band. But Mr. Evans, a retired drummer in the U.S. Army Band, Pershing Zone, says it is just their hobby. "We've been very lucky to keep this going in this day and age. There are so many things competing for the kids' time," he said. Mrs. Evans said the band members will go to Radio City Music Hall and other sites around New York before today's parade, but they'll head home right after it. "We should make it home just in time for Thanksgiving turkey," she said. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM