Centerville High School’s marching band members pose at their fundraising booth on Saturday, March 3 at the high school’s gymnasium. The students raised approximately $200 to help underprivileged high school band programs.
A recent fundraiser by Centerville High School band members was such a success that it whetted their appetite for further and grander charitable works.
The band members' volunteered time and efforts will ultimately benefit underprivileged high school band programs, including local schools, through March 4 Music, a national nonprofit organization that helps generate funds and materials for underprivileged band programs, according to Kevin Berger, Centerville High School band booster president.
He said the students have yet to determine which schools will receive funds. Part of those funds will come from a fundraiser held on March 3 that will help bring such needs as instrumental-music classes, extracurricular bands and band uniforms to schools who lost band programs due to education cutbacks. Berger said the students raised approximately $200 at their booth in the gymnasium at Centerville High School that day.
"I'm very impressed these kids got together and raised over $200," Berger said. "They are so excited about helping out kids in need."
In fact, the students have become so engrossed and passionate about helping re-establish high school band programs that they plan to hold an even bigger fundraiser this summer.
Berger explained that there are a core group of band members who will organize the whole band program to participate in that next, yet-to-be-determined fundraiser. He said the students will be seeking corporate sponsors and are considering undertaking such fundraising ideas as an evening-out dinner or a massive car wash.
He stated that the next fundraiser will be a "kid-developed, kid-run endeavor," meaning that the students will decide what type of fundraiser to employ and what institutions will receive the monetary benefit.
The Centerville band members became privy to other band programs in need through California-based producer Doug Lantz, a 1985 Centerville High School graduate and former member of the Centerville Marching Band, who recently produced a documentary on Centerville High School's marching band, titled "From the 50 Yard Line."
The documentary takes the viewer on a ride through the band experience by following the Centerville band through band camp, practices, football games, and local and national competitions.
Lantz said he created the documentary to demonstrate that the school band is as important as the school's football team.
"The band works hard and the band endeavor is unique and special because it is athletic as well as musical and intellectual," Lantz said.
He also created the documentary because of his passion for band activities and to help underprivileged schools across the country to be able to experience such band passion, too, through March 4 Music.
"It's truly touching to see these kids (Centerville band members) pouring out their hearts and reaching into their pockets to help support instrumental music programs across the country," added Lantz.
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