(if you can):

Evergreen High School’s award-winning marching band is gearing up for its Jan. 20 trek down Pennsylvania Avenue and its own slice of inaugural parade history.

How many young musicians will make the Washington, D.C., trip remains in doubt, however.

Without a late boost, a good many of those due to play “Washington, My Home” for our new president and spectators might find themselves left home in Washington state.

Only about 60 of the original 150 players and color guard members slated for the journey have paid their $862 trip fee, with time fast running out, the group’s booster club leader said Monday.

The other 90 students are short, anywhere from a final $86 monthly payment to hundreds of dollars’ worth.

Since the band learned of its coveted invitation Dec. 5, about $3,500 in donations have come in. But thousands more dollars are needed to help hard-pressed families make the deadline.

“It’s just a little stressful. We so want this to happen,” said Connie Ewart, band booster club president. “We need to find some more.”

Donors may contribute directly via a secure, PayPal link on the band’s Web site: www.ehsboosters.com.

Also, the band will perform a special “send-off concert” at 7 p.m. Monday at Evergreen High, in the school auditorium.
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“I don’t know if we’ll pass the hat,” she said. “I don’t want to say anything negative. I was hoping we’d get some people who’d step up and really take this on.”
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“The economy took a turn … It all sounded great at first, but then, the reality of, ‘I had to make all these payments’” set in, Ewart said.

…Evergreen was the only Northwest school band chosen for the D.C. parade. Nationwide, nearly 1,400 groups applied.

“It’s such an honor to be able to go. We just need to keep marching along,” Ewart said.

She’s already pushed another “final deadline” to this Friday, she said. She won’t tell students “No” if she can help it.

“I will personally put them on the plane, I suppose, if we have to figure out how to pay for it (later),” Ewart said.

“We will figure out a way.”

I’ve chipped in. Now it’s your turn.

I wonder if I could sneak in as a tambourine player… Who’ll notice one more pasty white NW face?