Addison Elementary Students to Sing at Thursday's Giants Game

Thursday’s San Francisco Giants' game will receive a special opening: 120 students from Addison Elementary School in Palo Alto will sing the national anthem.

The game against the Houston Astros begins at 7:15 p.m. Thursday. About 900 members of the community will be in the audience to cheer on the students, according to Superintendent Kevin Skelly.

The students gained the invitation after submitting an audition video in the spring with the help of parent volunteers, one who produced it. All students were invited to audition, as long as they agreed to put in the time to practice, said Principal Jocelyn Garcia-Thorne.

“This was a great way for them to learn that you don’t have to be a good singer,” she wrote in an email. “The beauty of the work is how so many different voices come together.”

The children scored the coveted spot against low odds, said Garcia-Thorne. “The Giants had advised us that the competition is very stiff (especially as a result of the Giants' championship win), but we thought it would be a great community-building activity, anyway,” she wrote. 

For three months, the children gave up their recess time and practiced both at home and in school rehearsals. Another parent volunteer directed the video.

“I am proud of these kids,” wrote Garcia-Thorne. “They’ve showed us all the importance of dreaming big and working hard.”