Brunswick Band back from NYC Parade

The North Brunswick High School band dealt with some very chilly weather this weekend. They were in New York to march in the annual Saint Patrick's Day parade. The buses finally rolled in just before 2 p.m., but the luck of the Irish did not follow the kids home. They arrived about six hours behind schedule. "The trip to New York, it was long, but it was worth it," said Charles Holliday, a sophomore in the band. One of their buses broke down near Rockingham, N.C., around seven in the morning. However, the long trip did not damage the spirit of the kids as they filed off the buses with pillows and shopping bags in hand. Their trip to the Big Apple was a huge success. Cherelle Morris, a senior in the band, said, "It was a lot of fun. We got to be in a big parade and represent our school and do what we love." And of course the band members wore something green. Each student proudly displayed a special New York Saint Patrick's Day Parade patch on their uniforms. The kids said they never could have imagined performing in front of thousands of people. "I tried my best through the whole parade, just to try to entertain them," Holliday said. The students said the Big Apple was even more than they could have ever expected. "It was really big and busy," said Robyn Gallaher. "You never know what you might expect, and when we got there it was wordless, just wow. That's all we had to say," Holliday added. It was the first time many of the band members had ever visited a large city. They said they loved walking through Times Square and shopping in Manhattan. The Empire State building was closed due to winter weather, but they did manage to squeeze in a broadway showing of The Lion King.