SPARKS — Dwayne Hollenbach, the leader of 39 local band students, thumbed through a folder of certificates outside City Hall on Monday. His students had just been declared ambassadors and he had the certificates with the city’s seal to prove it.

“We had the trip of a lifetime,” he said.

In September, Hollenbach’s students packed up their instruments and traveled to Longford, Ireland at the invitation of the Longford Town mayor. They were invited to participate in the Johnny Keegan music festival.

“They are ambassadors, even though they are only about 17 years old,” Councilman Ron Schmitt told Hollenbach. “I have never seen a group of kids so in tune with the culture they were in. It was a wonderful experience to have that renewed faith in the students in our community.”

Schmitt presented the packet of certificates to Hollenbach at the City Council meeting Monday after the band leader gave a presentation on the trip. Longford is Sparks’ “sister city,” a municipality with which Sparks is meant to share above average relations and cultural exchanges.

Hollenbach’s presentation was not only an update on an event with Sparks’ sister city but also an expression of thanks.

“With the City Council’s help, guidance and participation it was a successful trip,” he said. “We are here to thank the City Council.”

The city also partially funded a portion of the trip.

Although many of the students pinched pennies and asked for donations, they were still short several thousand dollars by the time their Sept. 26 departure date neared.

The students took their plea to the city’s tourism and marketing committee and the city gave the group $11,500.

But they did not use all of the money. Hollenbach said he would be dropping a $3,750 check off at city hall this week, which is the portion of the city’s money the group did not use.

Students were asked to pay their own way for the trip, requiring $1,350 from each student. According to Hollenbach, the students managed to raise about $42,000 on their own but required the $11,500 donation from the city to allow all 39 students to go on the trip.

The students came from each of Sparks’ three high schools: Spanish Springs, Reed and Sparks.