FHS band humming along highway toward Macy's parade
Posted on Sunday, November 23, 2008
ANDY SHUPE Northwest Arkansas Times Rachel Roenfeldt, left, a sophomore member of the Fayetteville High Marching Bulldog Band, gets a hug from her mother, Sheilah Roenfeldt, before the band left Saturday for New York to participate in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Fayetteville High School Drum Major Grace Warren braved freezing temperatures Saturday morning, as she waited to board a bus that would take her to New York City.
“I’ve been waiting for this day since last spring,” the high school junior said. “I can’t believe it’s finally here.”
Warren is one of 211 band members from Fayetteville who will take part in this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The group left Fayetteville about 10 a.m. Saturday and is slated to arrive in New York City about 2 p.m. on Sunday.
To prepare for the 28-hour road trip ahead of her, many students dressed for comfort.
“This will be the longest road trip I’ve ever been on,” said Warren, who sported a pair of flannel pajama pants. “I’ve never been to New York before so I’m a little nervous, but mainly excited.”
For most band members, Saturday’s departure was a long-time coming.
The group spent the past year raising $1,250 each to cover travel expenses. They were also asked to raise another $150,000 to finance tractor-trailer rigs, band equipment, uniforms and other needs for the trip. The total fundraising goal for the New York trip was nearly $450,000.
“They’ve definitely earned this trip,” said band director Barry Harper. “They worked for it all year long.”
The band raised about $5,200 from a pancake breakfast last week. About $3,800 came from ticket sales and another $1,400 came from donations. This week, the group received $6,000 in donations. They raised another $7,000 from a Caribbean cruise raffle.
“As of yesterday, we were still about $10 000 short,” Harper said. “Obviously it won’t keep us from going, but it will put some strain on the booster club for the spring. That’s when they pay for a lot of band-related expenses like equipment, instruments and band camp scholarships.”
Harper said the group’s funding shortage won’t affect their performance during Thursday parade. The event will air live on national television from 9 a.m. to noon. The parade route the band will be marching spans about 2.5 miles.
“We’ve been practicing in the mornings almost every day this week,” said band member David Skinner. “We’re definitely ready.”
In addition to the parade, students will tour various New York sites, including the Statue of Liberty and NBC studios. They’ll also see a performance by Cirque Du Soleil.
For more information, or to donate to the band, visit the group’s web site at www.fayettevilleband.com.
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