One of six charter buses carrying members of the University of Washington marching band and spirit squads to the Apple Cup in Pullman rolled onto its side Thursday on an icy stretch of Interstate 90, and the band reluctantly announced it could not play in the rivalry game.

UW marching band in a previous Apple Cup halftime performance

The crash was reported at 5:26 p.m. Thanksgiving Day on eastbound I-90 at mile post 146, about 3 miles west of George, according to Trooper John Bryant. The charter bus Thursday night was not blocking the freeway, but was blocking a frontage road, he said.

UW spokesman Victor Balta said the injuries included cuts, back pain and complaints of general pain but were not considered critical.

“The university is doing everything it can to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff, and to get them safely back on their journey to Pullman,” Balta said in an email.

The highly anticipated Apple Cup, the annual cross-state football game between the University of Washington and Washington State University, was set to kick off Friday night.

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Around 45 people were taken by ambulance to area hospitals to be treated for injuries that were not serious or life-threatening, according to Bryant. Troopers, paramedics and deputies from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office responded.

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In George, Washington, roughly halfway between Seattle and Pullman, townspeople turned out to feed and care for the injured band members. At the local elementary school, they set about fixing a Thanksgiving dinner for more than 300 people. According to Lacamas Magazine:

Using the tiny school’s kitchen, they heated up the food, put out the snacks, and watched local community members bring in their delicious Thanksgiving food.

“We fed all of them,” said Bowman. “We had enough water and people showed up with everything — soups and enchiladas. Everything.”

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Early Friday, UW Athletics Director Jennifer Cohen said in a statement the band members decided they needed to recover and return home instead of continuing on to Pullman, where the teams were set to play in the Apple Cup.

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But something amazing was happening in Pullman too. The Washington State University band got to work.

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In recognition of the sacrifice, the section of Martin Stadium where the Washington band would have sat was roped off and left empty.

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Without @huskyband in attendance tonight, @WSUCMB played our fight song.



Thank you for putting rivalry aside and showing your support. pic.twitter.com/r3HKCPcpYF — Washington Athletics (@UWAthletics) November 24, 2018

In a show of sportsmanship, the rival band performed the Washington fight song "Bow Down to Washington" during a pregame performance on the field.

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The Huskies won Friday on the football field, but all the people who helped out are the true winners.

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