The LZHS marching band will be performing in the annual Memorial Day parade in Lake Zurich on May 30. The parade will begin at 10am, with its start at Legion Hall and will proceeds to the Veterans Monument, where a brief service will be held to commemorate all veterans.

“I think that the band learns a lot from getting to march in the Memorial Day parade. We get to stand by as veterans give speeches and tell everyone about their experiences of being a part of our [military],” Anna Johnson, junior drum major said. “We learn about the courage it took and how honorable they are. The band’s eyes are opened [and] you realize how much it takes to fight for our freedom. We all enjoy getting to be a part of such an important day and getting to honor these brave people.”

The parade is more than a learning opportunity for the band. Josh Thompson, marching band director, says it is also a great service to the parade itself.

“I think it’s our civic duty [to perform in the parade].  It’s one of those parades that I think is important,” Thompson said. “We play patriotic music like the Star Spangled Banner and the salute to the five service branches at the ceremony [following the parade]. We don’t do a whole lot of parade marching other than some of the big parades we’ve been in, so this helps us get prepared for those. It’s [also] fun to play for a large audience outside and [be able] to be a part of a marching band of [almost] 200 people.”