WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — One local high school band started the year on the right foot, and on the streets of London, despite the challenges they faced before ringing in 2026 in the best way they possibly could.
WPTV first covered Palm Beach Lakes High School's Ram Regiment Band in September, when they were struggling to find the funds to send their whole 180-member squad to London to play in the New Year's Day Parade— facing a hefty price tag of $4,000 per student.
The band was able to get the job done thanks to fundraisers and significant donations from various organizations, allowing many of the students to experience going overseas for the first time while doing what they love.
"Performing in the London New Year’s Day Parade was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for our students, many of whom had never traveled internationally, allowing them to represent their school, community, and country on a truly global stage,” Band Director Joshua Velez said.
Velez said this experience has instilled even more passion within the students to perform, and hinted at the possibility of participating on other grand stages.
"Marching through the streets of London instilled a deep sense of pride, discipline, and accomplishment, and showed them firsthand that their hard work can open doors far beyond what they once imagined,” Velez said. "As their band director, watching our students perform with confidence and excellence in front of the world was both humbling and emotional; it reaffirmed the power of music education to change lives and validated every sacrifice made to get them there."
