Maui Mayor Accompanies Sabers to Maui’s First Rose Parade
Photo courtesy of Mayor Alan Arakawa and Mrs. Ann Arakawa.
By Debra Lordan
Maui High School’s award-winning Saber Marching Band & Color Guard participated in the 126th annual Rose Parade in Pasadena, California, on New Year’s Day, under the direction of Kerry Wasano.
Since 1950, 29 bands from Hawai‘i have appeared in the Rose Parade. This was Maui’s first showing at the parade.
It’s been eight years since a public high school band has been invited and 22 years since a Neighbor Island public school was invited. This was the first appearance by a Hawai‘i public school band since Pearl City in 2006. The last Neighbor Island public school to perform was Hilo High in 1992.
Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa and wife Ann attended the New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day festivities, traveling with the Sabers to witness the historical event.
“We’re anticipating it’s going to be very cold tomorrow morning, probably in the upper 30s, so I’m going to be layering with about four to five layers,” the mayor said the day before the parade. “Everyone has a 3 a.m. wake-up call. We’re hoping that it warms up a bit but either way, it will be a great experience for everyone–especially as the first time that the band has ever been in the parade.
“I’m extremely proud of this talented and hard-working group of students, and the dedicated parents and supporters who have helped make this possible,” the mayor continued. “We watched the band perform at Disneyland this morning, and as the group marched down Main Street, the crowd’s response was tremendous! What an amazing honor for our entire community that the Saber band was chosen to march in the Rose Parade.”
The mayor donated money from his Community Kokua Fund to offset the band’s expenses.
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