WAUKESHA — The Waukesha South Marching Band will be playing at Tuesday's inauguration of Governor Tony Evers.
The band was asked to play at the capitol just over a year after many of the members were injured during the Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy.
Sophomore band member Amalia Waltz remembers the 2021 tragedy with clarity. Luckily she was not physically injured.
"Of course it was an awful thing to go through. I know people were affected a lot by it," Waltz said.
One of those people was her bandmate, Junior Eleanor Anders.
"I was injured in the parade. Through this past year and a half, or how long it's been, it's been a struggle for sure because my injury is a permanent one," Anders said. "But we've grown and I think it was the time right after that was the most important for us to be together."
Through growing closer as a band and an amazing display of resiliency, the Waukesha South Band students have also created moments of joy. One of those moments was returning to play in the Christmas parade this past December.
Another moment to celebrate will come tomorrow as they play for the entire state of Wisconsin from the capitol building in Madison.
Anders said she was shocked they were asked.
"I was like, 'we're going to get to play at the capitol building? That's pretty cool," Anders said.
Waltz said after the outpouring of support she and her bandmates saw over the past year, playing at the inauguration is the band's way to say 'thanks.'
"It's like we're playing for them and it feels like we're repaying them for what they did," Waltz said.
Waukesha South Athletic and Activities Director Dan Schreier said there's not a group of kids that deserves it more.
"Hopefully it's just a great celebration for all the tough times, for all the challenges," Schreier said. "They're a family, they're a group that cares about each other and they get to spend the day together traveling up and playing at the capitol."
