FAIRHOPE, Ala. - The Fairhope High School marching band will play on Saturday, April 9, in the nation’s capital, barring a shutdown Friday of the federal government, which is becoming less likely, according to FHS band director Will Duncan.

“Right now the prognosis is good,” Duncan said Thursday afternoon by cell phone during the band’s tour of Arlington Cemetery. “What I’m hearing is there will be a (budget deadline) extension until after the parade, so the festivities can go on.”

Some 150 band members, school staff and chaperones arrived in Washington, D.C. via several buses this morning, April 7, for a weekend of events, including participation in Saturday’s Cherry Blossom Festival Parade.

“The Cherry Blossom (organizers) are working real diligently on what to do if there’s a shutdown and also putting pressure (on lawmakers) to make sure it doesn’t shut down,” Duncan said. “One of the things they’re using to apply pressure is that 1.9 million people are expected to come to the DC area for this festival specifically.”

The FHS band raised approximately $85,000 for the trip this weekend and will be visiting such places as the Smithsonian Museum, in addition to playing in the parade, unless a shutdown closes national parks and government services this weekend, as was mentioned specifically by a senior administration official Wednesday.

A deadline of midnight tonight, April 7, faced lawmakers to pass a budget or cause a shutdown.

Once the issue of possible national park closures was mentioned yesterday, the FHS band became the center of media attention and has been featured in local television broadcasts, and national television, radio and print coverage is expected to appear today and tomorrow.

“I’ve personally done interviews with NPR, the Washington Post, and local ABC and CBS affiliates, as well as television stations in Mobile, the Press-Register and now The Courier,” Duncan said. “We’ve kind of become a hot button for interviews because we’re one of the groups and bands that have traveled the farthest.”

The phone calls for interviews started before they left town Wednesday, Duncan said, and continued throughout their trip north and today.

“I told them about the possible shutdown before we left and that we were going regardless and cross those bridges when they needed to be crossed,” he said. “The kids are real resilient and have great attitudes and Fairhope’s a great place to teach with great students and great parents. The weather’s beautiful today and we’re keeping our fingers crossed for the rest of the weekend.”

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