GENTRY — The Gentry Band Boosters’ first annual Pioneer Pride Party was a big success, thanks to sponsors, parent volunteers, participating band students and the community.
Starting around 10 a.m. on Halloween, volunteers and students started preparing the Chicken Coop pavilion in hopes of creating an annual event that would meet all of the Booster Club’s fundraising criteria.
According to fundraising chairperson Shawn Hunter, there are three main things she hopes to accomplish with each fundraiser: Involve all grades of band students, encourage community involvement and create fundraisers that are able to grow with the band.
The Pioneer Pride Party was the first of several new events planned for this year and it met each goal.
“The Party was such a success that next year’s event is already being scheduled to coincide again with Gentry’s Trick or Treat on Main Street,” Hunter said. “We hope everyone will plan on being there!”
The grand prize raffle winner for the Crush ipod basket donated by Dr. Pepper/Snapple was Evan Owens of Decatur. The judged-the-best chili was entered by Marge Lessard who received a gift basket from Lana Huckleberry, the chili-cookoff organizer, as well as gift certificates from Pioneer Pizza. Determining the winner of the pumpkin-decorating contest was a hard decision, according to several of the band students who judged, because of the creativeentries in both the adult’s and children’s classes. The winners were Maureen Broglin, adult; and Autumn Broglin, child. They both received a gift card to Hobby Lobby donated by Sign-A-Rama of Johnson.
The next event to be organized by the Gentry Band Boosters will be the Christmas Parade Pie Auction and Bake Sale. The event will be in the Carl Gym directly following the Gentry Christmas Parade.
“We hope the entire community will participate by either donating a pie for the auction, a baked item to sell, or just stop in at the gym to get warm and leave with tons of delicious baked goods,” Hunter said. “Bring your wallet - it’s for a great cause!”
For more information on this event or to donate to the Gentry Band Boosters, contact Hunter at 238-3195.
News, Pages 3 on 11/11/2009