More than 100 schools participated in the annual Hope of America program from May 6 to May 8 at the Marriott Stadium.
Fifth graders from across Utah gathered to sing songs and celebrate the nation’s freedom.
The day of their final performance started at 10:30 a.m. as the kids filed into the Marriott Center for morning rehearsal.
Each song and movement was practiced to near perfection.
The kids even got to use flashlights during the final song.
Cal, a Hope of America participant, expressed his approval of the students’ choreographed flashlight routine.
“I watched it and it's just like perfect movement,” Cal said.
But the real excitement came later that night, when the students' hard work paid off.
The students and their families first enjoyed the pre-show, which featured the BYU Dunk Team and Cosmo the Cougar.
Once the Cosmo craze subsided, the Hope of America showcase officially began.
Sam Francis, composer of the Hope of America songs, was in the audience. He said that he enjoys seeing his work come alive during the performance.
"It's just amazing to sit there every night and know that we've written the songs and see that many kids performing them,” Francis said.
The importance of Francis's work was not lost on the participants either.
“It means a lot because like it's a free country," Gracie, another student performer, said.
As the night neared the end, national pride was renewed and people were reminded of America's values.
The director of Hope of America is hoping to expand this program across all 50 states.