KSHB 41 reporter Claire Bradshaw covers eastern Jackson County, including Blue Springs and Independence. Share your story idea with Claire.
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The Blue Springs High School Golden Regiment Marching Band will march in the 2027 Tournament of Roses Parade after placing first in their class at this year's Grand Nationals Championship.
I was there to celebrate their achievements this season, and with an invite from the school district, I got to share exciting news about what's ahead for the program.
The Golden Regiment brought together past, present and future in one room. Outgoing seniors celebrated their final season alongside current members who will stick around and eighth graders eager to fill some big shoes.
"I'm really excited to be part of this group. I feel like everybody becomes like such a big family," said Kyleigh De La Torre, a Brittany Hill eighth grader.
Those big shoes took this band to the Bands of America Grand Nationals Championship in Indianapolis, where they placed first in Class 3A and eighth overall in America, earning recognition from the district.
"Grand Nats was really special. Especially being the 50th anniversary of it, was a competition like we haven't seen before, honestly," said Rowan Axton, a Blue Springs High School junior who plays alto saxophone.
But when one door closes, another opens. After the district handed out everyone's medals, I shared the news that the band's next big trip is to Pasadena, California, for the Tournament of Roses parade. Five high schools were selected, including Blue Springs, to perform in front of one million people live and 78 million watching at home.
The excitement was immediate when students learned they would be performing in the iconic New Year's Day parade.
"I'm really excited. I'm so excited to be part of this band and be a family with the band and have that experience," De La Torre said.
Milo Rondomonski, a Blue Springs High School freshman who plays tenor saxophone, said the opportunity to perform for such a massive audience is overwhelming.
"It's really exciting. I mean, to get to perform for that many people like on TV and in person, over a million like… I have no words for that. It'll be amazing," Rondomonski said, as he was practically speechless.
On New Year's Day 2027, tune into the Tournament of Roses Parade to see the Golden Regiment doing what they do best. The official list of bands hasn't been released yet, but the parade president will pay a visit to Blue Springs this spring.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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