By PAT NEWMAN
Staff Writer

Fayette County High School Band's plans to participate in the 2000 Olympic games are still uncertain. “We're on hold at this point,” said band director Kenny Beard.

The band's hopes of marching in the opening ceremonies in Sydney, Australia were dashed last week when Sydney Olympic officials rescinded their invitation. Fayette County High's 220 band members were to be joined by 200 Walton High School band members from Cobb County for the appearance of a lifetime negotiated by World Projects Corp. of California.

Altogether, about 1,500 American and Japanese students would join about 500 Australians for the opening spectacular. The disparate number of Australian musicians is the reason Australian organizers pulled the welcome mat.

Their action has caused an international incident with protests raging on both sides of the hemisphere.

A conciliatory offer was made to the Georgia bands through Bill Lutt of World Projects Corp. for the groups to perform at lesser events such as preliminary soccer matches in Canberra and events at the Opera House and Darling Harbour. The Fayette County delegation remains uncommitted.

“We've got to see what the offer actually is,” Beard said Monday. Plans are for Beard to fly to Sydney Friday and sit down face to face with Olympic officials to negotiate. “It's going to take some pretty strong concessions... something substantial to justify us going,” Beard said. “The main draw of the trip was that we were invited to be part of the opening ceremonies. That is not part of the latest contract.”

He noted that some Fayette County parents have grown skeptical about their children's participation in the trip. “They don't want their child in a country where they are not welcome,“ Beard said. But there has been a public backlash in Australia over the turn of events and according to Beard, the whole thing may go “full circle.”

One thing Beard said he was certain about was that, “I've got the best band parents in America.” Parents on the steering committee have been on the phones trying to inform all 220 parents and band members about the trip's status.

Spokesman for the committee Tracy Fleming said the group will review the offer made by the Australians at a meeting July 20, after Beard has had a chance to talk with the committee and World Projects Corp. Families have already paid $700 apiece for the trip, which was expected to cost each student $3,600.

Fund-raising efforts were underway for corporate sponsorships and business donations to defray the cost of the trip. Beard said he was assured by World Projects Corp. officials that all money would be returned if the trip fails to materialize.