Band $18,000 shy of Macy’s goal
Posted on Thursday, November 20, 2008
The Fayetteville High School Band still needs about $18,000 to cover expenses for the upcoming trip to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
Band publicity chairman Linda Scogin said they still plan to go if the money is not raised, but it could create financial strains for the Fayetteville Band Boosters later because they would dip into booster account funds to cover trip costs.
“It’s money already earmarked for other things,” she said. “We may be scrambling some this spring.”
The band is scheduled to leave for New York City from the high school at 10 a.m. Saturday.
The amount needed was $23,000 before the Band Boosters recently received $5,000 in contributions from two sources. Scogin did not immediately know the names of the contributors.
Band Boosters will also evaluate student accounts today to determine who is still short on funds, she said. Each student was asked to raise $1,250 to attend the trip.
The $18,000 will help cover the travel expenses on top of the students’ contributions, Scogin said.
One of the band’s most recent contributions was $100 from the Root Elementary School Student Council.
“The thing that I found touching about it is it was students giving to other students,” Scogin said.
The funds came from Root’s student store, which sells school supplies once a week, student council sponsor Cindy Ratcliff said.
One reason why the council decided to donate money to the band is some members are former Root students, Ratcliff said.
“We counted the kids in the Fayetteville High School Band. There’s at least 18 to 20 students that are Root alumni,” she said.
The band was holding fundraisers as recently as Saturday. They earned $5,216 from a pancake breakfast at the Steak N Shake restaurant in Fayetteville.
Scogin said they plan to use the money to help cover meals on the road.
“All of the meals in New York are covered, but the meals to and from New York are not covered (in the $1,250),” she explained.
On Tuesday, the band held its last evening practice before the trip.
A drawing for the cruise boosters have been selling tickets for will be held before the band leaves, Scogin said.
The parade route the band will be marching on Thanksgiving Day is about 2.5 miles.
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