By Alex Hendricksen
The Benicia Panther Band hosted a car wash from 9am to 1pm on Sunday, September 30th. This was an opportunity for the band to showcase their car washing skills, but really to make some money for the various expenses the band has to face throughout the year.
The band worked hard with people working on tires and rims, rinsing, soaping, and re-rinsing, allowing the band to work efficiently to give customers nice and shiny cars.
Over the 4 hours, the band made a total of $2,300. This may not seem like a lot, but that much money would pay for many things, such as rental instrument repairs and covering some of the Hawaii trip cost. The Hawaii trip is extremely expensive for obvious reasons, so it’s important for the band to do as much fundraising as they can so everyone who wants to go can.
The band program is very decorated, having won many awards over the years. This success of the program may lead one to believe that they receive plenty of funding, but the truth is contrary.
The Band Program has also had complete funding cuts numerous times throughout the last several years. This is why it is imperative that the community supports the band at local events. Without community funding, there is no band.
But community support shouldn’t end just with the band program. Many programs around the school don’t get enough funding. Even the sports programs that supposedly get adequate funding have to do fundraising. So, make sure you help school programs thrive by supporting fundraisers, giving children the chance to explore their passions.
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