Georgia’s streak of having a group invited to participate in the inaugural parade appears to be intact.
Or is it?
President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural committee released the names of dozens of bands and other organizations that had received invitations to the traditional parade that follows the new president’s swearing-in on Jan. 20 in Washington.
Included in the list was this entry: “Kids Overseas — Richmond Hill, Georgia.”
This organization would follow in the footsteps of the Georgia State University Marching Band, which participated in the 2013 parade, and the South Cobb High School Marching Band that helped honor Barack Obama after his first inauguration in 2009.
Just one problem: Nobody seemed to know what Kids Overseas is.
People in Richmond Hill, a city in southeast Georgia between Fort Stewart and Savannah, were stumped. Nobody at City Hall had heard of Kids Overseas. The local chamber of commerce was equally mystified.
Finally, someone at Trump’s headquarters told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Kids Overseas is part of a Department of Defense program at a school for American children of military personnel at a naval station in Italy.
A spokeswoman for the inaugural committee later was able to confirm that the group features children from across the country whose parents are serving overseas. Someone from the organization filed paperwork with the committee that listed a Richmond Hill address, although the organization is not based there.
Regardless, the committee is pleased to have Kids Overseas in its parade. “We’re honored to have Kids Overseas participate in this inaugural parade and we’re extremely grateful for the sacrifices made daily by our troops and their families,” committee spokesman Taylor Mason said. “This unifying event will showcase some of the best America has to offer while also paying respect to the historical traditions of the past.”
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