Westbury High School has been invited to march in the Pro Football Hall of Fame parade in Canton, Ohio, in August, but the musicians and dancers need a bit of help to pay for the trip.
The band was invited because former student and athlete Michael Strahan, who now hosts Live with Kelly and Michael and contributes to Good Morning America, is being inducted this year in recognition of his 15-year career with the New York Giants.
The trip is expensive – it’s going to cost $40,000-$45,000 total. The district is contributing $15,000, and Friends of Westbury donated $5,000. Each of the 65-70 band members and dancers is kicking in $350, which will cover their transportation, hotel, food, and admission to the football museum and another site. They’re holding lots of fundraisers, but the group is still about $15,000-$17,000 short.
Band director Reginald Washington said going on this trip isn’t just about music.
“The more experiences you give them, their perspective on life changes,” Washington said.
Washington said he hopes the experience will instill the importance of education, including college, in each student.
If you’d like to donate, the booster club has set up a Fundly account. No amount is too small, sponsors say.
What am I missing? Here is the breakdown:
HISD- $15,000
Friends of Westbury- $5,000
Band members- 70 X 350= $24,500
If this is correct and the trip is a TOTAL OF $45,000 why is $15-17,000 still needed?
Seventy-eight percent of Westbury’s students are on free or reduced lunch. Some of the families are struggling to come up with the $350 needed, so the additional money would help offset those costs.