Send the Pride to Pasadena

Reprinted from WCU Office of Web Services

Western Carolina University’s Pride of the Mountains Marching Band has been selected to participate in the 2011 Rose Parade®, to be held Saturday, Jan. 1, in Pasadena, CA.

“America’s New Year’s Celebration” is held annually in conjunction with the Rose Bowl® college football game. The parade is seen by more than one million spectators and by millions, perhaps billions, of television viewers around the world.

The Pride of the Mountains is widely regarded as one of the top marching bands in the Southeast for its elaborate field shows. The band was the 2009 recipient of the Sudler Trophy, the nation’s ultimate honor for college and university bands.  Being part of the Rose Parade® will highlight Western Carolina University on the world stage and offers numerous unique opportunities for the university:

• The Tournament of Roses® has finalized a TV contract with China with an expected viewership of 1.1 billion.
• The Rose Parade® is broadcast live by television networks ABC, NBC, HGTV, Tribune, Univision, Telemundo, Travel Channel, Discovery HD Theater, and Sky Link TV. Approximately 40 million Americans watch the parade live each year, plus millions more viewers in 150 countries and territories around the world.
• The parade annually attracts approximately 1.1 million along the parade route.
• The Tournament of Roses® has selected the Pride of the Mountains as a premier group for its entertainment value, giving the band a highlighted spot in the parade formation and on TV.
• The Pride of the Mountains has been asked to perform its field show twice, which is a very rare occurrence, at both morning and afternoon events to showcase Tournament of Roses® performers.

As you can imagine, getting the Pride of the Mountains Marching Band to the 2011 Rose Parade® will be no small undertaking. Moving 400 members, directors and staff, along with their equipment, is going to require planning, skill and money.

Each band participant is expected to pay for a portion of the trip; however, that amount will not cover full expenses. And some band members simply cannot afford to pay.
You have an opportunity to get on the bandwagon by sponsoring this historic trip for the Pride of the Mountains. You can help those band members who cannot afford the trip and also help cover the cost above the band member contribution.

For more information:
Chris Mueller
Executive Director, Resource Development

Western Carolina University
201 H.F. Robinson Administration Building
Cullowhee, NC 28723
Phone: 828-227-3052
Email: clmueller@wcu.edu