SAN DIEGO - The City Council proclaimed Tuesday to be Mira Mesa High School Sapphire Sound Band and Color Guard Day in San Diego.
The proclamation honored just the second marching band from the San Diego Unified School District to participate in the annual Rose Parade on New Year's Day. The ensemble from Patrick Henry High School marched in the parade in 1983.
Band director Jeanne Christensen called the Rose Parade experience "a wonderful, incredible journey."
The 250-member band practiced most of last year for the parade, including physical exercises to get band and color guard members in shape for the 5 1/2-mile march. They played "Ode to Joy" and "America the Beautiful" repeatedly on New Year's morning.
"It was an adventure, and that's what education is all about," Christensen said.
"It was our honor and pleasure to represent the city of San Diego, as well as the San Diego Unified School District and all of Southern California," she said. "We were one of 19 bands in the world chosen to march -- they selected us, we didn't fill out an application."
The band also performed at the Pasadena City College Band Fest and marched in the Disneyland Holiday Parade.
The council, without comment, also approved a five-year, $25 million agreement with Motorola, in which the firm will provide the city with a digital public safety radio system.
