[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 9] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages 12939-12940] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]CONGRATULATING THE SAIPAN SOUTHERN HIGH SCHOOL MANTA RAY BAND'S OLYMPIC PERFORMANCE ______ HON. GREGORIO KILILI CAMACHO SABLAN of the northern mariana islands in the house of representatives Tuesday, July 31, 2012 Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, here is a story to make us all cheer: 46 high school musicians from America's smallest insular area raise a quarter of a million dollars to go to London and perform during the Olympics--where they win a silver medal. That is the story of the Saipan Southern High School Manta Ray Concert Band, who played their hearts out at the London Celebration Music Festival this week in Central Hall Westminster, and came away with silver. They played throughout the 2012 Summer Olympics: at the main bandstand in Olympic Park, in a torch ceremony in Central London, at storied Westminster Abbey, and at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre nearby Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. As they played, we all cheered in the Northern Mariana Islands. Because the Manta Rays represent us all. We are the only U.S. insular area that did not send athletes to London. We sent our students. We sent musicians. And they were awarded silver. It took silver to send them there. It took bake sales, rummage sales, garage sales, a bowling tournament, tree plantings, car washes, a radio telethon, lunches, and raffles. It took businesses, government, civic organizations, and individual donors--too many to list by name all chipping in to make this possible for the 46 Manta Rays and their 14 chaperones. It seemed an impossible goal for a community of barely fifty thousand, struggling economically, to raise two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. But we did. Because these Manta Ray musicians dared us to dream--as they have before. They proved to us that with ``faith, effort, and determination,'' and, of course, the hours of individual diligence, closing out the world, playing scales, practicing their parts, over and over again, that even the seemingly impossible can come to be. Ten years ago there was no high school band in our islands. Most families in the Marianas could not even afford to buy a band instrument. Then, through the vision of teacher Will DeWitt and the support of the leadership at Saipan Southern High School and the Northern Marianas Public School System a seed was planted. The dream began to grow. Students begged or borrowed instruments and held them for the first time. They began to make music. How quickly they learned. They started to win regional competitions in Guam. They gained notice and were invited to perform during the Beijing Olympics four years ago. They were even called to play at Carnegie Hall, earning second place in the New York International Music Competition. Then, last year, the invitation came to the 2012 Summer Olympics. And this week the silver medal in London. Perhaps, nothing better demonstrates how much the Northern Marianas believes in its young people than this bake-sale effort to send the Manta Ray Concert Band to the 2012 Olympics. Perhaps, nothing better demonstrates how much our young people believe in themselves and in their future than that they took on this impossible, improbable goal--and succeeded. So, today, we say, ``Congratulations, Manta Rays!'' And we say, ``Thank you.'' Thank you for doing your community proud. Thank you for rewarding our faith in you. Thank you for confirming that there is no better place to put our hope and hard work than helping in the growth and development of our children. Here is a story we can all love and applaud: a story of dedicated teachers and students who were inspired to do something they had never done before, something that on its face was ``impossible.'' This is a story of what makes any of us great: stepping beyond what we imagine we can do, bringing to life a new and unimaginable world. [[Page 12940]] ____________________