Age 4 Boy with Autism Loves Marching Bands, So One Showed Up at His Door on Halloween
High school marching band kids really are the best.
In a heartwarming act of kindness, over two dozen members of the Cartersville High School Marching Band turned up on Halloween to give a 4-year-old boy with autism an incredible memory.
Four-year-old Graham, from Cartersville, Georgia, has a love for marching bands.
The precision of the drumline combined with loud, brassy melodies was so attractive to the boy that he wanted to be old enough to one day join the band himself.
A freshman in the band knew that Graham was one of the band’s biggest fans, and took it upon himself to organize a surprise for the boy, who lives in his neighborhood.
The freshman student recruited members of the marching band to show up with their instruments and wear costumes on Halloween to march down the block and play a few tunes for Graham.
Cartersville Band Director Alex Shive got a front-row seat to watch the young freshman’s initiative take shape.
“He stood up there, a freshman in front of 100 of his peers, and said, ‘Hey, this is what I want to do, this is what it’s for. Anybody who wants to help please help,'” Shive told WAGA-TV.
“It was very student-run, which was the best part of it,” a proud Shive said.
On Halloween, approximately 25 band members showed up at Graham’s door and invited him to come marching with them.
Donning some marching gear of his own, young Graham triumphantly marched alongside the teenagers as best as he could, a dream come true for such a little guy.
Of course, Graham’s size made it a little difficult to stay perfectly in step with the seasoned band members, but he enthusiastically made his way down the block as possibly the proudest Purple Hurricane in town. And after their march, the teens took Graham trick-or-treating.
With members of such kindhearted caliber in Cartersville, it looks like this band understands what matters most in life — to include, encourage and love one another.
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