Hempfield Band Going South for a Performance at Walt Disney World

From The Standard Observer, May 3, 1983.

PACKING IT IN--Hempfield Spartan Band Parents and director Rod Booker (left) pack the gear for the band's 160 students in preparation for their trip to Florida. The group will perform at Disney World, and visit various amusements in the Sunshine State. Pictured with Booker are (from I to r) Bob Miller, Jim Delesandro and Lou Smith, Band parents. Assisting Booker in the performances will be Denise Beitel and Lisa Lamolinara, directors of the colorguard and majorettes.

They'll be marching in the land of make believe, but doing it in Spartan fashion. The 160 student members of the Hempfield High School Spartan Band will begin a sojourn this week which will find them in Florida's famous lands of fantasy - Disney World and the Magic Kingdom.

After months of planning, the Hempfield Band Parents have made the final preparations for the group's flight, tour of Florida's Kennedy Space Center and a round of amusement parks...all of which will begin when the Spartans take to the air in two chartered D-9's this week.

According to Band Parent spokesman Jim Delesandro, this is the group's first major trip in three years. "We take the band on a trip of some kind every year," he said, "but once in three years we take them on a major trip somewhere."

Last year, the group went to Norfolk, Virginia and participated in the Azalea Festival, where they were named the Top Band in a competition among 40 other bands.

Plans for the Florida trip, though, were already in the process as the Spartans marched in Virginia. Fundraising was perhaps the single most important aspect of the plan to send the 160 students and 26 chaperones to the Sunshine State, or so the group decided way back when.

Some 50,000 submarine sandwiches and nine sub sales later, the students were able to raise the $450 each needed to make the trek, lock stock and drum set.

Delesandro indicated that the group under the direction of Roderick Booker, will march in Disney World on Friday afternoon, but that the invitation to march there itself is considered an honor for the students. "We had to send them a videotape of the group marching, and they were reviewed. You can only march in Disney World if you're invited to, and you have to be good."

There is little doubt about the abilities of the Spartan Band. Although the group usually prefers to march at festivals as opposed to competitions, they are still an impressive group.

During the group's five day excursion, they will also be visiting EPCOT Center, Jetty Park and the Wet and Wild Amusement park. They will be back in time to make their classes on Tuesday of next week. But who wants to think about that...

The Hempfield Area High School Spartan Band marches down Main Street U.S.A. as featured performers in the Mickey Mouse Character Parade held last Friday in the Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World, in Florida. Disney World hosts two parades daily and two bands from schools throughout the United States are chosen from photos and tapes to perform in each parade. The students sold submarines to pay for their Florida trip.