Fire Raged, And The North Penn Band Played On

LANSDALE, PA -- Great things can be born from the ashes of destruction.

This truth has been acknowledged throughout human history, to the point where there is even a mythical bird - the phoenix - which takes its character from this notion of creation from devastation.

When North Penn High School caught on fire last week, the music wing of the school was damaged. The entire school had to be evacuated. Students were dismissed from classes for the day. Cleanup crews swept through the building. Large sections of hallways were roped off. The dollar amount of harm done by the blaze is unknown, but it's undoubtedly significant.

Then from the ashes, like a phoenix, came a small spark.

>>>North Penn HS Evacuated After Fire

Each year, the North Penn High School Marching Knights participate in one of Lansdale's grandest and most popular ceremonies, the Memorial Day celebration down Main Street.

Despite the setback, the community made sure that nothing changed in 2016.

The district said that "generous and supportive offers poured in" from the surrounding community, including music companies, local school districts, universities, and concerned citizens. With the momentum of the kindness of strangers, North Penn students, staff, and parents swept up from the incident with phoenix-like voracity and arrived at the parade on Monday ready to perform.

Many instruments were inaccessible due to the fire, but West Chester University lent wind instruments to the band. Spring-Ford, meanwhile, lent percussion instruments and flags.

>>>North Penn Fire Was Intentionally Set By Student: DA

Although weather threatened and cancelled parades and celebrations around the area on Monday, the ceremony to honor fallen heroes in Lansdale persevered, and took place in the auditorium at Penndale Middle School.

If fire couldn't stop the performance, it seemed doubtful that rain could.