Not only did New Jersey contribute its fifteen electoral votes toward the man who will become president at noon today, but we’ve sent some ambassadors to represent us in the festivities.
For one thing, desite a lack of official band leader and uniforms, the Bonnie Brae Knights drum squad from Somerset County is participating in the inauguration festivities. This is not just exciting because of our Garden State pride, but also because this has given a group of troubled boys something to work toward besides getting out of their difficult circumstances. Several are wards of the state, and Bonnie Brae is often viewed as a kind of "last chance" before imprisonment. As we wrote in an item in our February issue, it’s a fitting opportunity for for these kids, for whom the words "hope" and "change" are more than just sound bytes.
And then we have Roxey Ballet from Lambertville, which has been invited to perform at the "Africa & International Friends Inaugural Ball" today. The group will be performing "Celebrating Diversity" alongside The O’Jays and Dionne Warwick. Hosted by the country of Kenya and conceived by Nelson Mandela, the ball was designed to bring together cultural, spiritual, and government leaders from around the world, and is expected to draw 15,000 guests.
"This may be the single-most exciting performance the Roxey Ballet has ever done," says Mark Roxey, Artistic Director of the company. "Our dancers hail from all over the world–from all different backgrounds–and they make their homes here in Lambertville. I expect this will leave a lasting mark on them and be a great story to bring home. It is truly a life changing experience."
So in addition to being proud of our country today, we can all take a little extra pride in New Jersey’s contributions to the festivities. And I’m sure I’m missing plenty of those contributions, so if you have any others to share, feel free to post them here!