This Middle Tennessee marching band is set to perform at Trump’s inauguration. How fundraising made the trip possible

Smyrna: You might see some familiar faces at the Inauguration on January 20. The Stewarts Creek High School marching band is heading to Washington D.C. for the big event. They were chosen by the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee, along with a few other groups from around the country.

This band is the only one representing Tennessee, which is pretty cool. Freshman Bayleigh Saunders, who plays the bass drum, is excited about the special bass drum heads made just for the parade. It’s a big deal for them!

The principal, Clark Harrell, said this invitation shows how hard the students have worked. He’s thrilled for them to perform at such a significant event and appreciates all the support from the school and community.

Band director Michael Chester shared that they felt a mix of excitement and pride when they got the news. It all feels a bit surreal, he mentioned in an email.

To make this trip happen, the band needs to raise a whopping $120,000 to cover travel costs for all 120 band members and 40 adult staff. They kicked off a fundraising campaign to help with the expenses. If you want to pitch in, you can check out their website or call the school directly.

Recently, they got a fantastic surprise! Tractor Supply stepped in and donated the last $40,000 they needed to hit their fundraising goal. How awesome is that?

Chester expressed how honored they feel to represent Rutherford County and Tennessee. He hopes their performance will showcase the spirit of their community. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and they’re ready to shine on that national stage!

Diana Leyva covers trending news and service journalism for The Tennessean. You can reach her at Dleyva@gannett.com or follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @_leyvadiana.

This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Trump inauguration: Tennessee marching band performing Jan. 20.