Bus Fire Doesn't Stop Wheaton-Warrenville Show Choir from Performing, Winning Weekend Competition

Photo credit: WXOW.com

A bus fire while enroute to a weekend competition may have been a show stopper for any other show choir.

A dad of one of the girls was able to collect items from other parents back in the Wheaton area through early Saturday before he hit the road to head to Onalaska himself and several people in Onalaska, once they learned of the girl’s situation, reached out to provide shoes, makeup, hairspray and old costumes, according to the newspaper.

It all turned out great for the Wheaton-Warrenville South Esprit Choir that was named a grand champion following the weekend competition. 

Jared Schaffner, a principal at Onalaska High School, said the community was happy they could help, according to WXOW in LaCrosse, Wis.

“It was fortunate, our group was able to pull enough shoes for them, enough costumes for them, enough instruments for them using some of our past years opportunities. That group will still be able to compete today, with borrowed dresses, borrowed shoes, and a few borrowed instruments,” Schaffner told the news station on Saturday.

Their help, show choir director Kelly Nichols said, made all the difference.

“They’ve offered to go to Walmart for us and to go to Target for us. It really is a fantastic community and even other schools, I had people say, Oh do you know this director cause they’re offering you all these things and I’ve never met that director in my life,” Nichols told WXOW.

Read more on the Daily Herald.