海角大神

On the 11th anniversary of 9/11, students from Coconut Palm Elementary in Miramar, Fla., showed up at a local聽Walmart, clad in patriotic red, white and blue, to sing 鈥淕od Bless America鈥� as part of a prearranged tribute.

The 75 young chorus members, ages 7 to 10, were born after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. But they had learned from their families and teachers the significance of the date and what their singing meant.

The group鈥檚 excitement turned to disappointment Tuesday evening when a聽Walmart聽representative refused to honor an agreement allowing the chorus to sing inside the store, according to Coconut Palm Elementary Principal Terri Thelmas.

In an attempt to 鈥渞ight a wrong,鈥� Thelmas said, school staff and parents led the singers outside the store, where they gathered under a nearby flag that was at half-staff. The children performed 鈥淕od Bless America.鈥� The group had headed to its cars when police showed up in response to a report of a 鈥渇lash mob situation.鈥�

Wednesday evening, responding to complaints about the incident, a聽Walmart聽spokeswoman apologized on behalf of the company.

鈥淲e regret this happened and apologize to the students, parents and the school for this experience,鈥� said the spokeswoman, Kayla Whaling, based in Bentonville, Ark. 鈥淯nfortunately, this was a situation of miscommunication, and it should have been handled differently.鈥�

She added, 鈥淲e鈥檙e also inviting the kids back to the store to help honor the victims and fallen heroes.鈥�

The performance at聽Walmart聽had been arranged as part of a school-related 鈥淚 Will鈥� campaign, which encourages people to help a stranger and do a public service on 9/11, Thelmas said.

Music instructor Annie Conner and the students envisioned a 鈥渇lash mob鈥� performance at聽Walmart, Thelmas said. In addition to remembering the victims, the act was meant to surprise and cheer up customers, Thelmas said.

Thelmas said that when she contacted the store last week, she was referred to a manager named Frank, who approved the in-store performance. But when the group showed up Tuesday night, Frank wasn鈥檛 there, Thelmas said. Instead, another聽Walmart聽manager dismissed the idea, called the chorus 鈥渁 liability鈥� and turned the group away, Thelmas said. The employee added that Frank had been 鈥渇ired,鈥� Thelmas said.

Walmart聽declined to discuss details.

After Tuesday鈥檚 incident, parents took to Facebook to complain about the way they had been treated. Being turned away had brought some children to tears, given that the kids had practiced hard for the show.

鈥淭he wind was taken out of everybody鈥檚 sails 鈥� from the parents to the teachers to the kids,鈥� said Michael DiScascio, 41, of Miramar, whose 9-year-old daughter was part of the chorus. 鈥淭here was a lot of confusion and disappointment.鈥�

DiScascio鈥檚 fourth-grade daughter, Adrianna, had watched documentaries and visited a 9/11 memorial in New York this summer, DiScascio said.

鈥淪he was really into the fact over what she was doing,鈥� DiScascio said. 鈥淥ne of my wife鈥檚 friends passed away on 9/11.鈥�

When the children sang under the flag, their parents used cellphones to film the performance. It lasted little more than a minute and ended with cheers.

Pembroke Pines Officer Alex De La Paz said police were required to respond after聽Walmart聽called in a complaint.

鈥淪ome of the officers felt that it wasn鈥檛 a police issue,鈥� De La Paz said. Ultimately, no action was necessary because 鈥渁ll the kids were already in their cars,鈥� De La Paz said.

Whaling, the聽Walmart聽spokeswoman, said聽Walmart聽plans to contact the school and arrange for the kids to come back. Thelmas said the school had not received the invitation by Wednesday evening, but that she would accept the opportunity.

鈥淚鈥檓 a bigger person, and I will accept an apology,鈥� Thelmas said. 鈥淚 think we would do it in a heartbeat.鈥�

Thelmas said the schoolchildren would perhaps have an easier time forgiving聽Walmart聽than their parents. 鈥淚 know the children, and they forgive easily,鈥� she said.