The Upper Moreland High School Marching Unit, which was crowned USBands Group V Open National Champions following their final performance of the 2024 production “A World Where We Belong!” in November, will return to MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ) on Sunday, December 8, the district announced today.
According to their post, the Unit will perform a special encore at halftime of the New York Giants vs. New Orleans Saints NFL game which begins at 1:00pm.
The Unit also took first place at the USBands Pennsylvania Group V Open State Championship in October.
In related news, senior Julianne Rudgunas was named the Upper Moreland High School November 2024 Rotary Student of the Month.
From their announcement:
Nominated by Mrs. Amy Purcell, Julianne has made a significant impact on both the school and the community, embodying the Rotary’s values of Service Above Self.
At school, Julianne has shown exceptional leadership and service. As a member of the Class of 2025 Council since her 9th grade year, Julianne has been actively involved in organizing class events and initiatives. In addition, she is a dedicated member of the National Honor Society, where she upholds the organization’s values of scholarship, leadership, service, and character. She organizes the Herk’s Heroes Halloween Candy Drive, collecting candy after Halloween and donating it to Fox Chase Cancer Center for children who are unable to trick-or-treat. Julianne also played a key role in creating and selling the UMatter Mental Health Awareness t-shirts for the Morgan Message Lacrosse game, helping raise awareness for mental health issues. Julianne is a diver on the UMHS swim team and has volunteered for various initiatives, including making toys for shelter dogs and collecting donations for the Bear Den, a school program that supports local families in need.
Outside of school, Julianne continues to demonstrate her commitment to service and leadership. She has been a Girl Scout since kindergarten and is currently working toward her Gold Award by creating “little libraries” for the community. Julianne has also been a competitive gymnast for 9 years with the Willow Grove Twisters at the YMCA, where she maintains a Level 8 ranking. In addition to her gymnastics training, she volunteers as a rhythmic gymnastics coach for the Special Olympics of Montgomery County and works part-time at the YMCA, teaching gymnastics to students ranging from preschoolers to pre-team. Julianne also volunteers at Pennypack Farm and Education Center, where she helps harvest crops for donation to local food banks.
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Photos: UMSD