OU Marching Band Uniforms Donated To Band In Uganda

There may be only one Oklahoma, but soon there will be two pride bands marching in two different countries. Thanks to an OU alum, old band uniforms are on the way to Africa.

While new uniforms were being made over the summer, the marching brand's director worked to find a new home for the old ones. Next month, their new home will be in Uganda with the community marching band.

“There will be no doubt about where they came from. They are actually our red coats with the white OU,” Pride of Oklahoma director Brian Britt said.

They are considered the Pride of Oklahoma filling Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on game days, playing one of the state's most recognized songs.

This year, the University of Oklahoma's marching band wears new uniforms, and to keep the old one from sitting in storage, an OU student found a way for them to be still worn with pride.

“I'm pretty sure the kids may not be familiar with the OU but Oklahoma is something most people know,” said Darius Aruho, OU student.

Aruho, a Uganda native, studies chemical engineering.

This year, he traveled home to create a community marching band, with members as young as 10 years old.

“In Uganda, music is a big part of the community but it's mainly traditional music,” he said.

But a band wouldn't be complete without uniforms.

“One of the things I think we are so blessed to have as the support we do as the Pride of Oklahoma to make life changing opportunities for our own students and to extend that to a whole other country,” Britt said.

With help from director Britt and other community members 30 of the Pride's former hats and jackets are now on their way to Uganda.

Two bands two worlds apart, now connected through uniforms and soon their music. The Ugandan band is working to learn the OU fight song.

The Pride director plans to ship more of the old uniforms to Uganda as their band grows.