New Westminster Secondary School music students want to raise $30,000 - and they need your help.
The students are gearing up for their second fundraising bandathon, a 12-hour non-stop musical marathon to be held at the school on Saturday, Oct. 15.
Students will play in three-hour shifts to keep the music going all day.
The students are already out of the gate with fundraising, having held a "Bandathon Blitz" recently. More than 125 students, with parent volunteers, went door-to-door talking to New Westminster residents about the music program and their goals for the year.
"It was a great experience," said Dylan Kirkby, a Grade 12 music student, in a press release. "We had really positive responses from the people we talked to, and it was a fun team-building event as well."
The students raised almost $6,000 on blitz night alone.
They're hoping to reach their $30,000 goal to allow the music department to fund bursaries and scholarships for deserving grads, as well as buying a set of flugel horns, a new bass drum and stand, and a new marimba.
Money raised will also enable the senior band ensembles to attend the prestigious MusicFest Canada festival being held in Ottawa in May. The festival is by invitation only to top ensembles from local music festivals, and eight different ensembles from NWSS have been honoured with an invitation to the May 2012 event.
Part of the proceeds from the bandathon will also be used to help New Westminster Family Place.
To pledge your support, visit www. fanofthebandathon.com.
