 "Photo: Bryson Pope/Echo staff photographer")
 "Photo: Bryson Pope/Echo staff photographer")
This New Year's Day the sunny city of Pasadena, Calif. will welcome N.C. Central University's Marching Sound Machine to the 122nd Annual Tournament of Roses Parade.
"This is a great honor to be chosen out of over 10,000 applicants," said Lamon Lawhorn, assistant band director.
"It will give exposure to NCCU and the state of North Carolina in a positive manner. We are looking forward to giving the students a trip they deserve with memories they will cherish forever."
The Marching Sound Machine will be the only HBCU band in the parade this year.
The parade is seen in more than 200 international territories and countries. It will be broadcast on ABC, Hallmark Channel, HGTV and NBC.
"I feel like this will be a milestone event not just for the band but for the University," said public administration graduate student Breylon Smith.
But in order for the Marching Sound Machine to get there they must raise a lot of money.
This trip will cost about $2,000 for each of the 240 or so band members. In all, the trip will cost about $500,000 in all for travel and living expenses for the weeklong stay – so far the Sound Machine has raised about $300,000.
The Marching Sound Machine was selected along with 13 other bands from across the U.S. to participate in the five-and-a- half-mile parade.
The Tournament of Roses Parade was started in 1890 to celebrate California's mild winter climate by the Valley Hunt Club, a non-profit run by volunteers.
The parade was originally a modest procession of flower covered carriages with afternoon games like tug-of-war, sack races and foot races.
Over the years, the festival expanded to including marching bands and motorized floats. In 1902, the Tournament of Roses enhanced the day's festivities even more by adding a football game.
Following the parade will be the 97th annual Rose Bowl football game, also known as "The Granddaddy of Them All." The Rose Bowl football game has been a sellout every year since 1947.
In 2008 the USC Marshall School of Business conducted an economic impact study of Tournament of Roses events and found that about $178 million are spent during Tournament of Roses events.
Sound Machine fundraising efforts have included a car raffle and a Marching Sound Machine Night hosted by the Charlotte Bobcats.
The car for the raffle, a Nissan Versa, was donated by Michael Jordan Nissan. Tickets were sold for $20 each.
The winner, James Ford of Fayetteville was announced at NCCU's Homecoming game.
At the Nov. 13 Marching Sound Machine Night hosted by the Charlotte Bobcats in Charlotte's Time Warner Cable Arena, $5 from each game ticket was donated to the Sound Machine.
Instruments and equipment will be transported free of charge by Wal-Mart transport services, thanks to the effort of alumnus James Dockery, a former attorney with Wal-Mart.
This gift, valued at about $100,000, is the largest donation ever received in support of a Tournament of Roses fundraising campaign.
The Marching Sound Machine has been preparing for this event with 2- to 3-mile marches every day and musical rehearsal every Sunday.
"This parade has great meaning for the entire band," said sophomore Sound Marching trumpeter Timothy Johnson.
"It's our way of showing how we appreciate the directors and their hard work has not been done in vain."
The band leaves Durham on Dec. 27 and will fly to Pasadena for their one-week stay.
The parade begins at 8 a.m. (PST) and lasts for two and a half hours.
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