The Creston High School band will be holding a fundraiser for their seventh trip to Disney World 5 p.m. — 9 p.m. Friday July 2 at Crestmoor Golf Course. Band director Mike Peters hopes the fundraiser minimizes as much cost as possible for the trip so that band students have something to look forward to after two tumultuous years.
“Next summer, June of 2022, we are taking the band to Florida,” Peters said. “I had a couple parents who approached me with an idea to have a big, huge fourth of July type-of-thing fundraiser to use this money to help get the kids to Florida, so all the proceeds that go towards this are going to help alleviate some of the cost of getting the kids to Florida.”
Given that this is the first year of doing a fundraiser for the trip to Disney World, Peters said there wasn’t a set dollar amount they are hoping to exceed. Peters is hoping a substantial amount will be raised, not just for the band to play at Disney World, but also to make the sacrifices of the volunteers worthwhile.
“You always try to make enough money to make it worth all the hard work these wonderful people put into it,” Peters said. “I had some people that were just working their backsides off getting this thing put together.”
Peters said Lesha Clark, food services director at St. Malachy and St. Malachy prinicipal Jennifer Simmons came to him with this idea. Clark has been contributing food to the event as well as helping Simmons organize the July 2 event.
“Everything is good,” Peters said. “We’re going to have a pie auction, we’re going to have wings and all the fixings that go with it, drinks. It looks like the weather’s going to be good so we hope people will come out for it. It’s one of those things that every dollar you make is helping to get the kids to Florida a little cheaper, so we’re trying to make it a great experience. With everything that’s been going on this last year, we’re pushing this trip to try to get these kids perform for the world again.
This would be the CCHS band’s seventh trip to Disney World, Peters said. The students will be marching through a parade at theme park accompanied by iconic Disney characters along with a peek behind the curtain of the production at Disney World. Peters was relieved this fundraiser could take place without an unexpected crisis.
“To have a plan like this and actually having it go through is such a blessing.”
Peters said he was amazed at the level of contribution from volunteers.
“We’re getting volunteers, we’re getting kids to work, we’re getting parents to help out, we’re getting businesses to donate some stuff to alleviate some of the cost so it’s more profit in the kids’ pocket.”
Lesha Clark said that Crestmoor golf course had contributed not only their time and space but also funds to the event and included Your Momma’s Cleaning Service as a sponsor. Peters was gracious that Crestmoor allowed him and the volunteers to use their space for the fundraiser and the hype has been building up.
“I’ve got parents talking it up, I’ve got kids talking it up, we’ve got more and more people doing this, it’s going to be great.”
“The more kids that can go on this trip, the better, so if you can try to make it as affordable as possible, the best,” Peters said.