Crystal Lake Strikers Drumline chosen to perform at 250th anniversary parade in Philadelphia

The Crystal Lake Strikers Drumline has been chosen to perform in the Salute to Independence Day parade in Philadelphia next year when the nation will be celebrating its semiquincentennial, or 250th anniversary, of the Declaration of Independence.

The Strikers will be part of Crystal Lake’s Fourth of July parade Sunday, where the group will kick off a year of fundraising to help pay for 20 to 30 of its members to make the trip.

“It’s a huge honor for us. It’s a big deal,” Jamie Haak, operations manager for the group, said.

In a news release, the Strikers said next year’s “prestigious event ... will feature a grand procession through the historic heart of Philadelphia.”

“As part of the nation’s largest Independence Day celebration, the event will showcase a diverse array of marching bands, cultural groups, and performers from across the country and around the world,” the release said.

Strikers co-founder Tom Kundmann said in the release that “to be part of such a historic celebration – marching through the very streets where the nation was founded – is both thrilling and humbling. We can’t wait to bring our energy, passion, and love for music to this incredible event."

The Strikers have participated in many parades in Chicago and the suburbs, including the city’s Thanksgiving Day parade. The all-ages, independent group also provides educational programming.

The Crystal Lake Independence Day parade runs from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, July 6, returning this year to its historic route down Dole Avenue and past the Lakeside Festival on the grounds of The Dole.

More information on the group is available at its website, clstrikers.com. Those who wish to donate to the cost of the trip can contact Haak via email at jamie.haak@clstrikers.com.