After

a couple months of transcontinental negotiations

and local uncertainty, the Fayette County High

School band will perform at the opening ceremony

of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.

Parents

voted 141-61 Thursday night to accept the Olympic

Committee's latest offer to include the band in

opening festivities.

The

Olympic Committee rescinded its invitation to the

Fayette County band and 1,300 other American and

Japanese students who were set to perform at the

Games in July.

Their

action triggered an international incident with

protests lodged on both hemispheres.

Kenny

Beard, Fayette County High's band director, took

a wait and see approach to the whole affair and

predicted two months ago that the whole issue may

come full circle. He was right. The band will

perform as originally planned, and will be the

only American band in the opening ceremonies.

Fund-raising

will proceed in earnest now, with students moving

toward their goal of raising approximately $3,600

apiece.

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