Columnist Susan Snyder: Prep band tuning up for D.C.

Friday, Jan. 5, 2001 | 9:31 a.m.

Susan Snyder's column appears Fridays, Sundays and Tuesdays. Reach her at snyder@lasvegassun.com or 259-4082.

When you're a drummer for the high-school band in a tiny northwest Nevada town, Washington, D.C., might as well be Mars.

And heading there to perform at the U.S. presidential inauguration definitely is a concept from outer space.

Or so Randy Cox thought.

The 18-year-old senior at Douglas High School in Minden is lead percussionist for the Douglas High School Marching Band, which has been chosen to participate in inauguration festivities for President-elect George W. Bush. It's one of 38 high-school bands from across the country invited to perform Jan. 20.

Stymied by an election result that was determined five weeks later than usual, inauguration organizers made the announcement of who had been chosen to perfrom later than usual also. The announcement came Dec. 22, while most students were on break.

Some didn't find out about the honor until they returned to classes this week, Bill Zabelsky, Douglas High band director, said. Others, such as Cox, read it in the paper Dec. 23.

"I read about it, and I was really shocked," Cox said. "I really doubted we had much of a chance. (Washington) just seems so distant."

And it will remain so if "The Pride of the Carson Valley" can't raise the $65,000 needed to send its 60 musicians and 10 chaperones to D.C.

"We're taking letters to our family and friends. We're getting sponsorships from local businesses and clubs. We're trying to get money anywhere we can," Cox said.

They're pulling together a benefit concert and silent auction next week, and band parents had an emergency meeting earlier this week to brainstorm for more fund-raising ideas.

By Wednesday afternoon, Zabelsky said, they had managed to pay for 15 of the 70 airline tickets they reserved and had $10,170 in donations. Another anonymous donor promised to match the first $10,000, which brought the grand total to $20,170.

Zabelsky hoped members of the Douglas County Commission would approve the school's request for money at their meeting Thursday night. Commissioners also have challenged the local school board to match their donation, which Zabelsky expects to be in the $10,000-$15,000 range. School board members are to meet Tuesday.

The Douglas band submitted audio and video recordings, along with its list of accomplishments. Those include winning last year's Nevada Day Parade sweepstakes and taking the top honor at the Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco.

"We're the best-kept secret in the state," Zabelsky says.

The band snared a route position, meaning they entertain the crowd before the parade and before and after Bush's inauguration speech.

Zabelsky knows the drill. He led the Douglas High School band to former President George Bush's inauguration in 1989. And his wife works with a man whose high-school band played at Dwight Eisenhower's inauguration in 1957.

"He remembers it like it was yesterday," Zabelsky said. "This is going to make a difference for the rest of their lives."

It seems $65,000 is a small price to pay for that. If you want to help, the address is Douglas High School Marching Band, P.O. Box 1888, Minden, NV 89423.