Rochelle Township High School band director Ron Duval admits at first the thought of raising the money for the trip to Washington, D.C. seemed rather daunting; through it all he attributes the support and generosity of the community that helped make it happen.
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ROCHELLE — Rochelle Township High School band director Ron Duval admits at first the thought of raising the money for the trip to Washington, D.C. seemed rather daunting; through it all he attributes the support and generosity of the community that helped make it happen.
Now he, along with the students and music boosters, would like to show his gratitude at the Community Appreciation Night on Jan. 15 at 7 p.m. in the high school’s auditorium. There will be a presentation and slideshow of pictures recapping the visit to the nation’s capitol for the Parade of Heroes Veterans Day celebration.
“The communities, and especially the Rochelle area communities, stepped up in many ways to make it possible for this once in a lifetime experience for our students to represent not only the high school and the city of Rochelle, but also the state of Illinois,” Duval said. “We are inviting people to come and enjoy the presentation and reflections by those who made the trip.”
About 100 students and chaperones spent several days with a full itinerary centered around the Veterans Day event that honored those who served in World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars. The group also had an opportunity to visit Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, several memorials and museums and took a dinner cruise.
In the days to follow their return, the students, chaperones and Duval reflected on the trip, unanimously expressing gratitude at the honor.
“I hope everyone will take this opportunity for us to share our experiences and also for us to thank all of those people for their contributions,” Duval added.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and admission is free.