Kimball Marching Band Performs In Chicago

by Joel Young, Meteorologist/Reporter
November 21, 2012 9:47 PM


For many South Dakotans, Thanksgiving will be spent gathered with family around a dinner table; but for some Kimball High School students, this Thanksgiving is going to spent elsewhere.

It all got started last year with one video that would make this Thanksgiving one they will never forget.    

“It was just a big surprise for us because we saw all these parents recording and we were like, oh okay it’s just for their benefit,” says Nathan Brodkorb, a senior at Kimball High School.

Instead, their band director, Sara Olson, was creating a video, auditioning the Kiote Marching Band to participate in the 79th annual McDonald’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in Chicago.

When she got the news that Kimball High was selected only among 25 other high school bands across the country, she used that video to break the good news to her students.

“It was kind of funny because we didn’t catch on to what it meant. It was like, ‘One band from South Dakota will be selected,’ and we still didn’t get it until the end when it said we were the band,” says Cadee Nikolaus, a senior from Kimball.

As you can imagine, the students were beyond excited to be making the trip, even if that meant spending the holiday away from home. In fact, some of their families will be tagging along.

“My family was very excited and they were happy for us that we are getting to go experience this because not too many people get to, and they’re actually going to support us there in Chicago,” says Jesse Taylor, a senior from Kimball.

Of course, marching isn’t the only thing the band will be doing while visiting the Windy City.

“We’re going to see the Navy Pier and go to a musical, just a lot of exciting things,” says Brodkorb.  

But most of all, these Kimball High School students are excited about showing America what they’re made of.

“I think they might not expect very much from us since we’re from such a small state, but I believe that we’re really going to show them what we’ve got and I think they’ll be surprised,” says Brooklynn Urban, a senior from Kimball.  

Making for an experience these young South Dakotans will remember for the rest of their lives.

The students will be in line to March at 8 a.m. Thanksgiving Day and the parade will be televised on WGN out of Chicago.