Universal Academy, a small public charter school in Irving, beat the odds in a bid to perform for thousands of college football fans at the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 27.
Having made the grade in performance, the school is now challenged to foot the bill for taking dozens of students, faculty and chaperones on such an interstate voyage.
The total need is $25,000, and the school has managed to raise $13,000 so far. They are now hoping members of the community will step up to help cross the finish line in their fundraising effort.
“We have now this opportunity to represent the state of Texas, this big state with wonderful bands across this metroplex,” said Director of Fina Arts Dion Hood. “We are a 1A school. And we are going to be able to perform not only at the ESPN AutoZone Liberty Bowl halftime performance, but we’re also one of the features at the Liberty Bowl Parade. So this is an amazing feat for our school and our program.
“And I, as director, I’m so proud of what this experience is going to allow our students to dream and to inspire, and to see that they are capable and able to do anything that they really want to do, if they so desire, and stay focused on the right path to do that.”
Having worked at the school for 18 years, Hood took a leap of faith and sent off tapes of his marching band’s perfromance to bowl committees this year, and the effort paid off with an invitation.
The Marching Eagle band is slated for a halftime performance as well as the opportunity to march in the Liberty Bowl Parade in Memphis.
As such, the band as a whole will add to the repertoire of past perfromers who have represented the campus at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland and on stages in California.
However, moving an entire marching band halfway acroos the country is a much more involved process logistically; one that will be even more meaningful for the school as a whole.
“This means that we are doing some wonderful things,” said UA Principal Sheraton Duffey. “It means that what we said we were going to do – which is to provide our students with multiple opportunities to reach their maximum potential – we’re doing that.
“This experience with the Liberty Bowl is providing our students with a once in a lifetime opportunity to go out onto a large platform, like the Liberty Bowl, and perform in front of a large audience. (It) says to our students, it doesn’t matter that we’re Title 1 campus here, which means we have some students who are of low socioeconomic status.
“It says it doesn’t matter your background. Wherever you come from, you can do any and all things if you are a Universal Academy Eagle champion, because we are going to party together to make certain that we provide those opportunities for our students. we’re ready’.”
More information on Universal Academy, its various programs and how to donate can be found at the school website: universalacademy.com.
