FAIRHOPE, Ala. - The Fairhope High School Band that arrived in Washington, D.C. yesterday morning has been thrust into the national spotlight with a possible shutdown of the federal government that could cancel tomorrow’s Cherry Blossom Parade.

With a looming shutdown caused by a federal budget battle, FHS was besieged this week with phone calls from an array of media outlets and possible national television, radio and print coverage last night, tonight and this weekend.

“The Fairhope band has become the attention of the Washington Post, CBS Evening News, National Public Radio, ABC and CBS local affiliates and national news stations,” Terry Wilhite, spokesman for Baldwin County Schools, said Thursday morning. “The CBS Evening News producer just told me that they plan to send a camera crew to the hotel. He says it’s important that Washington lawmakers see that they’re not just affecting government employees, but hardworking kids and people across the country, including people from Fairhope and FHS.”

The possible cancellation of the parade was singled out Wednesday by a senior administration budget official, who pointed out that national parks such as where the Cherry Blossom Festial will take place could be among the government operations and services closed if a budget agreement was not reached my midnight Thursday or an extension made, according to media accounts this week.

Some 150 band members, chaperones and staff under the leadership of Will Duncan, FHS band director, left in several buses Wednesday for the 900-mile journey to the nation’s capital.

“I just got a text message from Will that said they arrived at the hotel,” FHS Principal Beverly Thomas said late Thursday morning. “I told him, ‘You’re fixing to become famous, so go shave.’ They’d been on a bus all night.”

The flurry of national media phone calls began Wednesday when the high school was contacted by the CBS national staff from the office of Katie Couric, saying the school’s trip might be featured Wednesday night or in the evenings leading up to the scheduled Saturday parade.

The band’s trip appeared on local television shows Wednesday night, and phone calls to the high school increased Thursday morning. A “Google news” search of the band’s name resulted in 65 related stories early yesterday.

“This is a great opportunity to showcase this fantastic band and school, even if it’s under a dark cloud of uncertainty,” Wilhite said. “We’re all holding our breath to see if the Cherry Blossom Festival goes on but nobody is holding his breath more than Will Duncan, band director. It’s a disappointing note to know they’ve put this much time and money into preparation and budget squabbles could get in the way of a once-in-a-lifetime performance.”

Band members and supporters raised approximately $85,000 from car washes, steak dinners, grocery bagging and other jobs, to finance this week’s trip, Thomas said.

“They’re resilient and will be fine,” Thomas said of the band members. “But there will be the disappointment of what they’ve worked so long and hard for not happening. I do think it’s a good lesson to see how government affects you in ways you never realized.”

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