Marching Uniforms Update
Our night at Little Theatre was a great experience. The play was great–Maria Jones, Stephen Olmstead, Matthew Zahn (11th Grade English teacher), and Patty Moran (Ms. Maxey’s executive assistant) added a special dimension as the guest spellers. The reception before spilled over into intermission and afterwards–it was great.
Pat Jones was an excellent host, though John Pettit earned his share of the spotlight with his patter while awarding the many door prizes. Kudos to Laurie Young for selling all those door prize tickets! Special, special thanks to Mia Jones for her tireless, indefatigable leadership and organization making the whole evening happen. And, many thanks to all you who supported the night by buying tickets and selling tickets to your friends and family members.
As announced at the performance, we have ordered the uniforms, paying half the cost now, with the other half due on delivery in a few months. So, we’ll see how much more fund raising we may need to do for this particular project. Our erstwhile treasurer is still toting up the income and expenses, but whatever the outcome, the event definitely brought us closer to our goal of new marching band uniforms!
Important Forms
- Letter for Family and Friends donations (pdf): Use to explain the uniform fund-raising project to family and friends and ask for their support. This one has the web address for online donations and a QR code for mobile devices too!
- Letter for Family and Friends donations (MS Word): Personalize this one before you send it out to family and friends seeking their support for the uniform fund raising effort. This one has the web address for online donations and a QR code for mobile devices too!
Background
The current Marching Titans’ uniforms were purchased in 2000; they’re showing the wear and tear of 11 seasons, and getting more worn and torn this season. Marching competitions are judged on appearance as well as musical talent, and uniforms make an important contribution to the final standings. To take it to the next level, the Marching Titans need to enhance their terrific musicianship with up-to-date uniforms for the fall 2012 marching season. It’s time to update the Marching Titans’ look.
Mr. Thomas has been working with our uniform provider, DeMoulin, on a new design. The estimate for new uniforms is a somewhere between $20,600 and 30,000 depending on the final design and number of uniforms. One uniform will cost somewhere between $275 and $350, and we’ll need between 75 and 85. The Band Boosters has been setting aside funds over the last two years, so there’s $6,000 ready and waiting. Even with help from ACPS and the City of Alexandria (cross your fingers), we have some serious fundraising to do.
We need everyone’s help to make this successful!
Fund Raising Events
The Zombie Marching Band in the Del Ray Halloween parade on Sunday, October 30. Sure to be a ghoulishly good time and will help get the word out to the Alexandria community about our marching band uniform fund raising efforts, pass the hat for donations, and have some FUN!.
- Come dressed as zombies with your instruments.
- Meet in the parking lot behind Forum One, 2200 Mt. Vernon Avenue at 12:45 pm to get ghoulish with “Reel Blood” (theater blood, courtesy of Chris Young).
- Get more details here in this Zombie Marching Band Info Flyer (pdf)
Contact Laurie Young at ldyoungdesign@verizon.net for more info.
Spaghetti Dinner/Silent Auction Success Thanks to you and your friends and relatives, we earned about $4800 at the spaghetti dinner and silent auction on Sunday, November 13. Even after we deduct a few expenses, that is a bunch more new uniforms! Thanks to Meldie Kish, Mia Jones, Laurie Young, Chris Young, and Deborah Lockett for your efforts in organizing the event and securing auction items. Special thanks to the Alexandria Choral Society (ACS) for adopting us for their 2nd Annual Gift of Giving. (The fight song has rarely sounded that good!) Not only did they serve up a tasty dinner for us, but they are also contributing another $700 to the cause! Our expenses are pretty minimal, thanks to all of you. What a great community we live in!
McDonald’s Spirit Nights Through December, these earned $1,198.95 for the uniform fund. That’s another 3-1/2 uniforms! Thank you for supporting McDonald’s and getting your friends and neighbors to support these Spirit Nights too.
Other Fund Raising
We have already started to seek matching grants from local businesses for whatever we raise at this auction. We’re also reaching out to all local Band Geeks and GW, Hammond and TC alumns through advertisements in local media and FaceBook. We’ll have another car wash or two in Spring.
Not only do we need your ideas; we need your time. Can you (and a friend) help run one event? Do you have an idea about how we can raise the money? If so, share it with Mia Jones at mamamiajones@gmail.com or Sharon Dooley at qplguy@gmail.com
