Letter: Band had to bow out of parade

To the Editor:

We respond to Mike Olson’s letter about the lack of bands at the River City Days Parade (R-E, Aug. 7). We are members of the Red Wing Rotary Club and we have been running the parade for many years.

Early in the week before the parade, we received a call from the Red Wing High School band director saying he could not get enough students to commit to marching and so he had to pull the band from the parade. It had nothing to do with money, as we charge the band nothing.

In defense, August is an off month for high school marching bands and so it is very hard to get any marching units to perform in this parade. We too felt the need for more music in and will work harder next year to bring more of it to the River City Days Parade including hopefully the Red Wing High School Marching Wingers.

Tom Feehan &

Mandy Lohmann

Red Wing

Tom Feehan and Mandy Lohmann are cochairs of the River City Days Parade

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