NEW ORLEANS —
Billionaire Richard Branson stated it was an honour and a once-in-a-lifetime expertise to don a drum main’s uniform and march forward of a New Orleans highschool band.
However a number of the Catholic faculty’s followers apparently had been much less keen about Branson’s look Thursday with the St. Augustine Excessive College Marching 100 — the band that built-in an unique Mardi Gras parade. The band and Branson paraded to a brand new Virgin Lodge in New Orleans as a part of opening ceremonies.
“I’ve had fairly a couple of thrilling experiences in my time, however I’ve by no means obtained (a) likelihood to steer a marching band earlier than — not to mention the very best marching band on this planet,” Branson wrote on his weblog Friday. “What an honour to affix the legendary St. Augustine Excessive College band for a efficiency by the streets of New Orleans.”
Aulston G. Taylor, president and CEO of the college, tweeted a letter late Sunday acknowledging that many individuals have informed him solely college students who’ve earned it ought to be allowed to put on the purple and gold uniform.
Others felt that “Sir Branson adorning our drum main uniform with honor throughout his hundreds of thousands of followers was nice for the college and units us aside as a worldwide model,” he wrote.
He stated each viewpoints are legitimate.
He added that information stories about Friday’s occasion introduced new contributors, each amongst alumni and “donors who had by no means seen nor heard of us.”
It additionally, he stated, is the beginning of “what all of us hope will likely be a long-term partnership … and one which goes past an preliminary present to the college.”
