NEW YORK — A Metro East high school band had its time in the national spotlight on Thanksgiving Day.
The O’Fallon Township High School marching band was featured in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
This moment was well over a year in the making and it was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for students and their families. The last time the band played in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was in 1992.
This year, roughly 290 O’Fallon students, staff and their families traveled nearly 1,000 miles to march in the 97th annual parade.
“We're really honored to be in it. We know it's such a special performance that not every high school student gets to be a part of,” band director Melissa Gustafson-Hinds said.
For drumline senior Devin Aiello, it’s an even more special way to end a successful final season as a Panther.
“I'm really proud because it took a lot of work. And ever since COVID, it was just you started from almost like ground zero and had to work your way up,” Aiello said.
His sister, who’s a freshman, is also part of the color guard. Their mom, Vickie Aiello, said these are memories they’ll cherish.
“We've been up since 4 a.m., got out on the streets about 5:30 a.m. But it was so worth it to see the kids march down the street. Not only mine, but the 290 ... other marching Panthers that I kind of call my kids too,” she said.
The band marched for 2.5 miles playing songs to fit the holiday theme they chose. They wrapped up their performance with a song arranged especially for the band.
“Our message is about joy to the world. And so we combined 'Ode to Joy,' which everybody knows with 'Joy To The World.' And we spelled out joy at the end using parts of a wreath as the 'O' and then a 'J' and a 'Y' to represent joy to everyone out there on this wonderful Thanksgiving Day,” Gustafson-Hinds said.
The O was also a nod to the entire O’Fallon community and beyond.
“The O represents unity as well. If you think about the shape of that, it's a shape that brings togetherness and that's what today is all about,” Gustafson-Hinds said.
The O’Fallon Panthers will travel back back to Illinois on Friday just in time for one of their last performances of the year at the O’Fallon Iilluminated Holiday Parade.