With the Carroll Band Day Parade cancelled this year because of COVID-19, the Adair-Casey/Guthrie Center High School Marching Band has its final performance of 2020 this week.

This year has had many challenges for the band members, including learning to play their instruments with bell covers in order to mitigate COVID-19, and trying their best to social distance and avoid having to quarantine and miss out on performing. Even though the band is now missing about half of its members, as 80 high school students are currently quarantined with eight students testing positive for COVID-19, Band Director Kyra Babcock is very proud with what her students have pulled off in adjusting their sound and filling in the gaps in formation for their final performance. Raccoon Valley Radio spoke with the band’s drum majors during their August camp, while they were all happy to be back at school and playing together. Drum major Tommy Bates echoed these feelings, “As corny as it sounds, our band really is a family and we all have some kind of tight knit bond. And I really enjoy just getting to walk into the band room and be in such a positive environment.”

The band will give the final performance of the “Kick Butt”-themed show during halftime of the varsity football game that starts at 7 p.m. Friday in Guthrie Center. Senior band members and their parents will also be recognized prior to the game.