In April, a Michigan-based travel agency, Performing Arts Abroad Inc., canceled the students' long-planned trip to Hawai'i because of a late payment and wouldn't refund the deposit of $108,000, band director Bill Ingram said. After local media publicized their plight, the Tulare community rallied around the students and donated enough money to get the band to Hawai'i, albeit a bit late.

"We're just relieved we could come," said Sun, who had never been to Hawai'i before. "It was a big downer when we found out our trip was canceled."

The California attorney general's office is reviewing the band's complaint against Performing Arts Abroad, said spokesman Tom Dresslar. "We do know that the company was not registered to do business in California, so under those terms they were operating illegally," he said.

Performing Arts Abroad and their attorney could not be reached for comment.

Tulare is a farming town of 45,000 in California's central valley, known for dairy, oranges and alfalfa. The band's students and parents raised the money over a year of car washes, candy sales and other fund-raising efforts.

"When you take $108,000 from a small farm community, that's a lot of money," Ingram said.

After receiving the bad news from the travel agency, Ingram proposed a trip to San Diego instead. "It took the wind out of everything," he said. "They looked at me and said, 'Mr. Ingram, our parents can drive to San Diego any time we want. Let's go to Hawai'i.' "

Through fund-raising concerts and donations from Tulare businesses and individuals, the students were able to raise $80,000 in two months — enough to pay for airfare and lodging at the Waikiki Resort Hotel. Ingram arranged their abridged trip two weeks ago through SunTrips, a San Jose travel agency specializing in Hawai'i vacation packages.

To cut down on cargo costs, the band left many of their instruments — including all the horns — behind.

Loretta Thomas, a chaperone traveling with the band, said her son wasn't able to bring his tuba, but he was happy to come anyway. "They've been having a lot of fun — hanging at the beach and going to Pearl Harbor. We may be a week late, but we're here. Thanks to good old Tulare community donations."

Ingram said Kaiser High School offered to lend the band some instruments, but the cost of transporting them to and from the performances was too much. "Everybody in Hawai'i has really worked with us," he said. Although they weren't planning on performing, Ingram was able to line up last-minute gigs at the Kapi'olani Park bandstand Sunday and Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center yesterday.

Kylie Vossler, 15, a pompon-wielding member of the color guard, said she thought it was a "miracle" the band was able to make it to Hawai'i this week. "The support of our town helped so much," she said.

"We love Hawai'i. It's so green and beautiful," said color guard member Tiffany Castro, 16. "There's nothing but cows where we're from."