Help needed to send PBHS band to Disney parade

The Poplar Bluff High School SHO-ME Band will march in the 50th Anniversary Disney Parade in March and the local community is asked to help students create memories during the Florida trip.

“We are looking for people to sponsor kids,” said SHO-ME Band booster and fundraising chairman Anna Robertson. “Whether it’s a full donation or sponsorship of the $1,000 fee that it’s going to cost each of the kids to go to Disney, or even a partial donation, that would be wonderful.”

The $1,000 will pay for the chartered bus, the hotel and three days of park tickets. The students also will need food and spending money.

The boosters are parents who come together to help, especially during marching season and fundraising.

While there will be many fundraising opportunities, Robertson said, “We just finished up a cookie dough fundraiser. We’re going to be doing a butter braid here in the next couple of weeks.”

Robertson foresees a second roadblock fundraiser in the spring.

“We did really well this past weekend, when we did a roadblock. The community really helped us. We were really surprised. Four hours doing that roadblock and we raised $1,856,” she said. “It was amazing how our community really helped those kids. I think the kids had a great time doing it too.”

Unsure of how many students will be going, Robertson said, “whenever we do meals, it’s about 120 kids we’re buying for. I’m not sure if all of them are wanting to go.”

“We’re constantly looking for new ideas to raise money,” she said. “I mean, we’ve talked about doing a car wash... and another roadblock in the spring. We’re going to be fundraising quite a bit, offering good products to buy.”

Robertson said, “there’s a whole bunch of kids really working hard, but they’re not quite getting where they need to be. We need all the help we can get.”

Anyone wanting to help may mail a donation to Stephen Winters, in care of Poplar Bluff High School. For additional information, call Robertson at 573-718-2831 or email band director Winters at stephenwinters@pb.k12.mo.us.