Ute band finds help for inaugural parade

Members of the LDS Church from the Ashburn Virginia Stake opened their homes to the University of Utah marching band during the band's recent visit to Washington, D.C., to perform in the inaugural parade for President Barack Obama.

Because of their last-minute invitation, band officials had trouble finding accommodations and transportation in the Washington, D.C., area. When Sherm Smith, a member of the Goose Creek Ward and University of Utah alumnus, got word of the band's troubles, he decided to help.

\"I read an article about the band's situation in the Deseret News, and I thought, 'Somebody needs to help those folks.' I heard a little voice that said, 'You can help them.' I ignored it at first but it kept coming back.\"

Smith then made phone calls and sent e-mails to members of the stake to see if there was any interest in helping out. The response was overwhelming, as he was inundated with more than 100 e-mails from families willing to help house the 128 band members. Because of the huge response, some families had to be turned away.

\"It was a phenomenal outpouring of help from the church,\" said Robert Walzel, director of the School of Music at the University of Utah. \"I've worked in higher education for over 20 years, and I've never seen anything of this magnitude as far as people coming together to help.\"

In addition to the housing, Smith was able to locate three buses for the band to use during their trip.

\"Because of the inauguration, there were no buses to rent anywhere near Washington, D.C.,\" Smith said. \"But at the last minute we were able to secure three buses.

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This story is provided by the LDS Church News, an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is produced weekly by the Deseret News.