From staff reports
The Franklin High School Black Knight Marching Band is representing Pennsylvania as the first musical unit featured during the 2018 National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C.
The parade is scheduled to take place on Constitution Avenue at 2 p.m. Monday and will be shown live on WTAE-Channel 4 Pittsburgh (ABC) or at www.nationalmemorialdayparade.com.
Community support helped the band students raise almost $90,000 to take the trip.
The Black Knight Band has represented the state for the 1998 National Independence Day Parade, the 2000 and 2003 National Cherry Blossom Festival parades, the 2006 Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival Parade and the 2008, 2010, 2013 and 2015 National Memorial Day parades in Washington.
Each of these parades has been viewed by an estimated 500,000 live spectators and broadcast nationally.
On Sept. 25, 2005, the Black Knight Band debuted at Heinz Field when the Pittsburgh Steelers played the New England Patriots.
The band returned to close the 2013 Steelers regular season when they faced the Cleveland Browns and were chosen again to play in January 2015 as the Steelers hosted the Baltimore Ravens in an AFC Wild Card game.
From 1997 through 2000, the Black Knight Band performed pre-game shows for the Pittsburgh Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium, and since 2009, the band has performed for the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League.
