Blind Marching Band from Ohio to Lead New Year's Eve Parade

The only blind marching band in the world will be the lead musicians in the Outback Bowl Parade on New Year’s Eve in Ybor City, Florida.

The marching band, which hails from the Ohio State School for the Blind (OSSB) located in Columbus, Ohio, will also perform during the halftime show New Year’s Day at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, according to WBNS.

“We are excited to host this group of talented young people as part of our halftime show and New Year’s Eve Parade,” said Outback Bowl President and CEO Jim McVay.

“It is a great opportunity to showcase their abilities on a big stage.”

The band is made up of students in grades 7 through 12 who come from all over Ohio. Community volunteers will help guide them through their upcoming performances, according to NBC4i.com.

The Ohio government established the OSSB in 1837 as the nation’s first public school for the blind, according to its website.

“Any blind children residing in Ohio could attend the institution. Eleven students enrolled at the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind this first year,” the site noted.

The publicly funded school’s mission statement read:

Our mission is to work cooperatively with students, families, and the community to provide an effective, enjoyable educational experience through specialized, curriculum, equipment, materials, and individualized, disability-specific instruction to develop our students’ unique potential.

The OSSB said the marching band had also participated in a competition at Jefferson High School Monday evening, according to a Facebook post.

Recently, school administrators wished their very talented students the best as they traveled to Florida for the exciting events: