By Zach Hester, Reporter • zach@southerntorch.com (Submitted Photo)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — After a year of fundraising, two local bands had the honor of performing in Washington D.C. over the weekend.

Around this time last year, the Geraldine and Sylvania bands surprised DeKalb County residents with the news that they had been invited to perform at the Lincoln Memorial. During the October 7 performance, the bands jointly performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” and a medley of patriotic songs.

“We are so excited to have this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these students. We want to thank everyone for their support and assistance in making this possible,” said Geraldine band director Lauren Lingerfelt Roszell. “This was a performance that these students will never forget.”

During the past year, both bands sold yard signs and held other fundraisers to raise money towards funding the trip.

“This has been a fantastic experience for our students,” said Sylvania band director Patrick Roszell. “I’d like to thank our faculty and administrators for going above and beyond in supporting these students and making this trip possible.”

“It was great to join [the bands] there and they did a fantastic job!” said U.S. Representative Robert Aderholt. “Our nation is divided right now, but these students and their performance are exactly the type [of] things that should bring us together.” For a clip of the performance, please see Congressman Aderholt’s Facebook page.