PALMER — The Colony High School marching band is making small gains in fundraising ahead of its scheduled Jan. 20 appearance in the Inaugural Parade in Washington, D.C.
But the group is still between $6,000 and $10,000 short, director Jamin Burton said Wednesday.
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As of Wednesday afternoon, the band had $36,000 in hand and about $15,000 pledged, but not yet paid, from donors, Burton said. He added if the band doesn’t have at least $55,000 by Jan. 10, its dream of playing in the Inaugural Parade will be dashed.
“If I don’t have the money by the 10th, it’s a no go,” Burton said.
The Colony marching band has been working to raise enough money to go to the nation’s capital after being invited last month to play during President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration.
But efforts to raise enough money in the short time available have been a nail-bitter for band members and parents.
Couple that with fluctuating travel and lodging rates in Washington and the stress of organizing an entire band to march amid a projected millions of onlookers, and Burton and other officials have been under the gun.
On Monday, the band was dealt a roadblock that appeared to take a hit at some students’ morale.
Burton said Wednesday he was relying on a hoped-for pledge of at least $15,000 from the Mat-Su Borough School Board to help with the cost of the trip. That money won’t be a factor, however, after the board turned down the band’s request for funding help Monday. The board voted 3-3 in a special meeting called by board President Jim Colver, which, being a tie, effectively becomes a failed vote.
Colver and members Myrl Thompson and Ole Larson voted in favor of giving the band the money. Board members Colleen Hamblen, Susan Pougher and Sarah Welton voted against the proposal. Brian Sullivan, a newly elected board member, was absent from the meeting.
In front of a packed conference room at the district’s administration office in Palmer, board members discussed the pros and cons of doling out cash for the band’s trip.
The sticking point appeared to be a concern among some board members that if they gave money to the marching band it would open the spigot on a flood of other requests from school groups looking for a handout.
Burton said he disagrees.
“How many other groups will be invited by the president-elect to play?” Burton asked after the vote failed.
That notion seemed to be one reason the board members in support of the funding found it to be a good idea.
“I think it’s the right thing to do,” Colver said of the funding. “It’s history in the making.”
Still, Welton, who said she received a threatening letter before the meeting attempting to influence her decision, said setting a precedent where the board acts like a bank is bad.
“We cannot be the cash cow,” Welton said.
Hamblen said her concern Monday was the seemingly hasty way the trip has been thrown together, though she acknowledged the band had a small window to prepare.
The Colony marching band is the only high school marching band in the state and was invited to play in the Inaugural Parade over scores of other bands that applied.
Hamblen also said helping with funding seemed to only benefit a small group of students and questioned how it would benefit the district as a whole.
But it was a statement from Pougher that seemed to sum up at least one notion all board members were in agreement with.
Pougher said student activities in the school district are “grossly under-funded,” a point that arose from the debate on whether to help the marching band.
That didn’t help the band’s case, and after the proposal failed, parents and students filed out of the room noticeably saddened by the decision.
Gayle Hoyt, a senior who’s played in the band since his freshman year, said the decision by the board was disappointing, but not the end all to the efforts to get to the nation’s seat of government.
Colver said he agrees.
“This wasn’t the death nail in the trip,” he said. “It was just a way to make it easier on them.”
After the meeting, surrounded by a cadre of parents offering help and advice, Burton said fundraising efforts will continue until the day the band leaves.
In an interview Wednesday, Burton said many band parents have rallied around the cause of fundraising, and he thanked the community for all it has done.
“Most of the community we talk to have been really positive and helpful,” Burton said. “We made up a lot of ground yesterday (Tuesday).”
The band had made some concessions to cut costs, including cutting out all hotel stays and driving all night from Newark to Fairfax, Virginia, where a church has agreed to let the students stay free of charge.
The band is also receiving some help from Alaska Airlines, which waived its second bag luggage fee for the students.
Burton said anyone who wants to donate money to help the band get to Washington, D.C., can still do so at any Wells Fargo Bank, where an account has been set up. There is also a Web site, www.chsmusicboosters.com., that will accept online donations.
Burton said with the population of the Valley, if every family donated $1, it would likely put the Colony band on the road to Washington.
Comments
62 comment(s)Still not used to AK wrote on Mar 18, 2009 6:03 PM:
The sad thing is, you're even more ignorant than he is to try and post that sort of off-topic garbage on the net.
If you think it's so terrible he's going to CHS for that, why don't you take advantage of the other public schools in the Valley? "
Nice but Wrong wrote on Jan 11, 2009 5:40 PM:
Jamin Burton wrote on Jan 7, 2009 10:31 AM:
Bean counter wrote on Jan 6, 2009 1:01 PM:
misty wrote on Jan 6, 2009 12:50 PM:
James Robilol wrote on Jan 5, 2009 5:31 PM:
SPAGHETTI FEED FUNDRAISER wrote on Jan 5, 2009 2:46 PM:
raise the taxes wrote on Jan 5, 2009 2:46 PM:
boro handouts wrote on Jan 5, 2009 6:11 AM:
spudcracker wrote on Jan 5, 2009 3:26 AM:
want to support my community wrote on Jan 5, 2009 1:35 AM:
watch for handouts wrote on Jan 4, 2009 3:09 PM:
brvak wrote on Jan 4, 2009 1:02 PM:
The decision to treat the band exactly the same as all other extra-cirricular activities groups was the correct one. It in itself is a teaching opportunity about self reliance, perseverance, and determination. Join me in clicking on the website and making a small donation. "
hoping for a school board reversal wrote on Jan 3, 2009 11:42 PM:
Proud of our State wrote on Jan 3, 2009 11:36 PM:
comment wrote on Jan 3, 2009 1:37 PM:
life-long resident wrote on Jan 3, 2009 12:49 PM:
It's obvious most of these posters are from here. It's just when people don't agree with your opinions, you label them as outsiders.
I support the band on this one and I have no kids that go to Colony. "
Voter wrote on Jan 3, 2009 12:38 PM:
RahRah wrote on Jan 3, 2009 10:53 AM:
Janice wrote on Jan 3, 2009 9:50 AM:
And, yes, band & choir were what kept me out of trouble as a kid, and it goes year round instead of your sports that are seasonal. "
Janice wrote on Jan 3, 2009 9:47 AM:
Edward from AZ wrote on Jan 3, 2009 8:43 AM:
" There certailnly appears to be an awful lot of you non Alaskans obsessed with our news. You must be fascinated with our beautiful state and our beautiful people. Why don't you come up and visit? See Alaska for yourself and meet some of the people. Then maybe you could come close to expressing a somewhat intelligient opinion. "
So do tell, what is unintelligent with the comments you refer??? "
Holy Cow wrote on Jan 3, 2009 12:57 AM:
Brian Sullivan wrote on Jan 2, 2009 5:32 PM:
Come and git it wrote on Jan 1, 2009 11:31 PM:
www.chsmusicboosters.com
www.palmerelks.org
I really think these folks will do it! "
Handout wrote on Jan 1, 2009 10:08 PM:
reality check wrote on Jan 1, 2009 10:04 PM:
FundRaiser wrote on Jan 1, 2009 7:16 PM:
After wrote on Jan 1, 2009 6:33 PM:
The school board was split and represented the views of their community well. Funny though, the people crying the loudest, on here, are the people that ultimately got their way. The losers were the children and they are handling it well.
I'm glad not everyone in Wasilla are not complaining, cheap skate, know-it-alls. "
You Alaskans wrote on Jan 1, 2009 5:50 PM:
$15,000 to send an entire band to DC and all this crying. Way to go, way to support your kids! "
middle school parent wrote on Jan 1, 2009 4:13 PM:
oooh wrote on Jan 1, 2009 12:04 PM:
MasMosTP wrote on Jan 1, 2009 11:01 AM:
to wow wrote on Jan 1, 2009 10:46 AM:
Alaskans dont quit wrote on Jan 1, 2009 8:53 AM:
And for everyone who said "you cant have a marching band in Alaska, take that"! "
To zach Hoyt wrote on Dec 31, 2008 10:40 PM:
Wow wrote on Dec 31, 2008 9:43 PM:
I'm for the kids. There's not much hope for the local yahoo grown-ups. If ignorance is bliss, Wasilla should be renamed, Happy Valley. "
Edward from AZ wrote on Dec 31, 2008 7:05 PM:
" Looks like we need to vote three members off the board. Colver you were irresponsible and Larson showed his true color with this vote. I suspect he will be a one term member. Thompson needs to go as well. Their vote showed irresponsibility and favoritism. Vote them out. "
Why?? The money in the budget is nor for one group but all the students. And I am sure there are many local schooll projects that need funding. "
Common Sense wrote on Dec 31, 2008 3:38 PM:
Edward from AZ wrote on Dec 31, 2008 3:37 PM:
" Sarah voted to raise the school board discretionary travel budget. So board members could go to the Parade on the districts dollar? An opportunity to represent our school district at a national event like this is an exceptionally good thing!! "
Bet there are better educational uses of these funds....birth control, need to finish High School, how to become a responsible citizen...... "
Zach Hoyt wrote on Dec 31, 2008 2:56 PM:
I'm disappointed in the board's decision, but I'm more disappointed in the community's response to our trip.
Our music boosters don't raise money specifically for marching band, but also for three other music programs. Contrary to popular-belief, we have been fundraising, although several members put aside time to fundraise alongside Rachel's Challenge to help palmer fire victims. This band is representing Alaska and the MatSu Valley and we have been, are currently and will be working towards this trip. Thanks to those who contributed so far, we're grateful for your help. "
J from NJ wrote on Dec 31, 2008 2:36 PM:
Voter wrote on Dec 31, 2008 2:08 PM:
Becky78 wrote on Dec 31, 2008 12:53 PM:
Band Parent wrote on Dec 31, 2008 11:29 AM:
The Knights Music Boosters have done an incredible job of working with what they have to make this dream a reality in an extremely short time frame.
Numbers change constantly, but we are still short. Please donate if you can. "
scout wrote on Dec 31, 2008 10:33 AM:
Edward from AZ wrote on Dec 31, 2008 10:33 AM:
If they ended up not getting the invite they could have donated the raised funds or kept them in an account for future band activities.
Part of education is the learning of and accepting responsibilitie, soI firmly believe the Board acted properly. "
Boo wrote on Dec 31, 2008 9:52 AM:
brvak wrote on Dec 31, 2008 9:30 AM:
The article in the Anchorage Daily News from this mornings Mat-Su addition reports they are only 6k short. I am troubled by the request for funds if they were not needed. "
Not a CHS Band Mom wrote on Dec 31, 2008 9:02 AM:
brvak wrote on Dec 31, 2008 8:35 AM:
This is good news. wrote on Dec 31, 2008 7:50 AM:
wasillaresident wrote on Dec 31, 2008 1:13 AM:
cmh wrote on Dec 31, 2008 1:12 AM:
Wow those band members are not great at math. 12% of 45k is only $5,400. So why did they need the school board to fork over $20,000 extra? Personal gain? That's doesn't sound like school spirit. If Su-Valley High could get their community to fund their trip several years ago, I don't see why the core area families can't afford to donate to their band. "
RZ wrote on Dec 30, 2008 9:01 PM:
nobrainer wrote on Dec 30, 2008 8:05 PM:
npadilla wrote on Dec 30, 2008 7:54 PM:
npadilla wrote on Dec 30, 2008 7:41 PM:
notabandgeek wrote on Dec 30, 2008 5:48 PM:
AK FishGirl wrote on Dec 30, 2008 5:01 PM:
milehye2000 wrote on Dec 30, 2008 3:26 PM:
ak curmudgeon wrote on Dec 30, 2008 12:42 PM: