By Jaden Smith with Elese Spurlock, The Buzz News, Hardin HS
For the past two months, the Pride of Hardin Hornet Band has dedicated time and energy to creating a community outreach event that would celebrate inclusivity through music. The event was arranged by a committee of officers within the band and had assistance from the organization: Raising Awesome Awareness (RAA). The RAA’s purpose is to bring awareness to our community for special-needs children and their families. This objective was certainly achieved last Friday.
The band planned the event under the name, “Music Brings Us Together.” The band intended for the event to last from 1 to 4 p.m. The plan was to use the universal medium of music to connect with these children and their families. The band members acted as group managers that would supervise groups of participants and help them move between different activities. These group managers were accompanied by one adult per group.
The activities included musical chairs, arts and crafts, bingo, playing the kazoo, a sensory room, a quiet room, and finally a large bucket drumming session run by the band’s percussion section. The students, with months of planning behind them, were able to ensure these rotations went smoothly, as well as decorate beforehand and stay after the event to clean up.
The head of Raising Awesome Awareness, Belinda Hernandez, said regarding the event, “The event turned out amazing, all our parents enjoyed it. Everyone was very organized. We loved the visual on schedule. Everything done was very inclusive for all our kids of different ages.”
To Mrs. Hernandez, this event was a resounding success, as it was to the other parties involved, including the band directors and students assisting in the planning and hosting of the event.
When asked whether or not Mrs. Hernandez would consider collaborating with the band again on any future events, she replied, “Definitely a yes on collaborating with our HHS [Hardin High School] band for future events. RAA is all about bringing the community together. Our goal is to bring acceptance, love, and inclusion to abilities of all ages.”
