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Wilson chorus hopes Boston performance will help city heal

The 153 students who make up the Hunt High School chorus from Wilson will soon be on their way to the performance of a lifetime, singing the National Anthem on Thursday night at a Rex Sox game.

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WILSON, N.C. — Singing in front of tens of thousands of people would be a dream for any high school chorus.

But when the song is the national anthem and the venue is Boston's Fenway Park in the wake of last week's marathon bombings, the significance becomes that much greater.

The 153 students who make up the Hunt High School chorus from Wilson will soon be on their way to the performance of a lifetime, singing the National Anthem on Thursday night at a Red Sox game.

“It’s an honor to be able to be there to sing for the people of Boston as they’re going through this horrible tragedy,” chorus student Cassie Helms said.

“We’re trying to unite them and unite us the only way we know how, by singing,” classmate Justin Baldwin said.

The students said the performance takes on special meaning as the city struggles to heal from the April 15 bombs that denoted in the fourth hour of the Boston Marathon, killing three people and wounded more than 280 others. Suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed days later in a shootout with police, and his younger brother, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, was captured and remained hospitalized Tuesday.

“Now that we get to go to Boston and we get to sing, it’s totally different,” chorus member Courtney Perez said. “It changed everything when all this happened.”

Added student William Rose: “We can provide comfort for them, seeing as what has happened in the past week.”

The chorus leaves for Boston on Wednesday morning.

“It’s going to be powerful,” Baldwin said. “I’m so excited for it.”

The chorus is selling T-shirts with the slogan “B Strong and Sing.” The proceeds will benefit the victims of the attack. For purchasing information, email bstrongandsing@gmail.com.

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