TUCSON, Ariz. – From the Friday night lights to the national spotlight, a local high school band is preparing for the performance of a lifetime. The Sahuarita High School instrumental program near Tucson will perform in the Salute to Independence Parade in Philadelphia this July, celebrating America’s 250th birthday.

What we know:

The announcement sparked a wave of emotions among the student musicians.

“Mix of shock, excited, and nerves mixed together in that,” junior percussionist Cade Gerl said.

Sophomore color guard member Zara Jacques shared similar sentiments about the upcoming travel. 

“I’m like excited because I get to explore and see new things in the world. But I am scared because I’m not going to have my family with me. But I’ll have my band family with me so I’ll be ok,” Jacques said.

Big picture view:

The trip represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the students to perform while also visiting historical landmarks like the Liberty Bell and George Washington’s house. The itinerary also includes a quick stop in New York City to visit the 9-11 Memorial.

Instrumental music director Benjamin Garland emphasized the profound impact the trip will have on the students beyond the parade route itself.

“It’s such a huge honor for us to be representing Arizona and representing Sahuarita on this kind of national stage. But I also know on top of that, the history and the culture they’re going to get to engage with is going to be something they take with the rest of their lives,” Garland said.

By the numbers:

However, getting the crew of 116 staff and students across the country is no easy feat — or beat. Garland noted that the baseline financial hurdle just to transport the participants was staggering.

“The cost to get the students, just themselves, not the equipment or any of that, to get all of them across the country sat at about $185,000 when all is said and done,” Garland said.

Generous community donations have helped them meet that initial fundraising goal. Garland expressed immense appreciation for the local support. 

“My gratitude is off the charts for what this community has been able to do for us,” Garland said.

Dig deeper:

Despite hitting the travel milestone, the financial effort is not over. The band is now still raising money for hotels, to get the instruments and equipment to Philadelphia, and to sponsor some student meals to help take financial stress off families. Community members who wish to support the program can donate via Zelle, Venmo, or by sending a check directly to the school.

The students are eager to experience the historic setting firsthand. “Getting to see buildings from the early eras of America’s birth that are still standing today, all these incredible monuments and memorials and just all this amazing history in one place,” Gerl said.

What’s next:

While they fundraise, they are also in rehearsal mode, getting ready to show the world what the school’s instrumental program is all about. The dedication is evident during their practice sessions.

“When we are practicing we all have fun, obviously we get the work done but I feel like there’s a lot of good energy whenever we perform,” Jacques said.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — On June 2, Californians will choose their top two picks to replace termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom.

ABC7 Eyewitness News Political Reporter Monica Madden is catching up with candidates in these final weeks and spoke one-on-one with former Orange County Congresswoman Katie Porter.

Katie Porter: “I also think it’s important to give voters some choice here.”

In this crowded race for governor, former Orange County Congresswoman Katie Porter believes voters are still looking for detailed policy plans from top candidates.

WATCH: Full interview with California gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter

Monica Madden: “You have several proposals for how to make the cost of living better for Californians, one of them being free childcare, free college tuition at state universities, and then eliminating the state income tax for families that are making under $100,000. What’s your plan for how to pay for those?”

Porter: “I would pay for it by doing for corporations in California what we ask families to do, what we ask workers to do, which is in our higher earning years: when we earn a little bit more, we pay a little bit higher tax rate. And I think that’s a fair thing to ask corporations to do, too.”

The Democrat made the case that she has the most thought-out proposals.

Porter: “Nobody’s said that my idea to pay for it is a bad idea. These are actual things that give California families more money in their pocket. So, when we hear candidates say things like,’When I’m governor, you’ll have health care,’ like, how? And at what price point? So, I’m really focused on very concrete policies.”

Porter also pushed back on criticism about her temperament after a video of her berating a staffer resurfaced earlier in the campaign.

Katie Porter addresses leaked video of her yelling at staffer

Monica: “Do you think that there’s a double standard here?”

Porter: “Temperament is a word that you mostly hear used for show dogs, racehorses, and women candidates. Most importantly, when it happened years ago with that staffer, that’s who I owed the apology to — when I made it five years ago to that staffer. And that’s what really matters to me. That’s the mark of my character. And I think that’s what we ought to be talking about, is what is the character of each of these candidates?”

On the future of California, Porter says she believes AI can be an opportunity if leaders handle it correctly.

Porter: “AI also has the potential to fuel tremendous investment in California. I have done battles with large and powerful interests before with some of the, you know, the most wealthy and well-connected in the world — and come out as a winner. And I think that’s what it’s going to take to steer California in a way that makes things, like, AI positive.”