Lake Zurich band plans major fundraiser for new uniforms

This may be the last year Lake Zurich High School's marching band performs in worn-out uniforms.

Funds raised at the 200-piece marching band's annual concert on Oct. 7 will help replace the 19-year-old uniforms. The goal is to collect $15,000 through a raffle, silent auction and live auction, band director Joshua Thompson said.

Lake Zurich Unit District 95 officials have committed to paying half the roughly $80,000 cost of the new uniforms, Thompson said.

Band students and parents also have collected about $25,000 for the uniforms through various fundraisers.

School officials are hopeful the fundraiser fetches the remainder of what they need to get the uniforms ready before the 2009-2010 school year.

"We're doing pretty well," Thompson said. "We're putting a lot into this Band-O-Rama because it could really get us there, honestly."

Thompson said officials are in the process of finalizing the band uniform design, which will remain fairly traditional.

The district will likely bid out the contract to have the uniforms made within a month of the fundraiser. The uniforms should be ready for next fall.

"We'd like to get this done and moving," Thompson said. "We won't get that (district) money until next school year so we have to put a big deposit down this school year. That's kind of why we need the money now."

Thompson said officials are also trying to form a band parent booster organization to help with future fundraising efforts, since parents helped collect much of the roughly $25,000 for the uniforms.

"As soon as the parents stepped up and said 'we want something better for the band,' things started moving," Thompson said.

The silent and live auctions will feature some unique items - such as a chance to conduct one of the school's concert bands, and a 1915 piano that Thompson himself gutted and retrofitted into a piano bar.

"I literally took off all of the stuff that makes the sounds and took all the keys off," he said. "It's beautiful, just a nice piece of furniture. This will be nice in somebody's house."

Other items up for auction include: an overnight stay in Lake Geneva, Water Park passes for Grand Geneva, golf outings at the Lake Zurich Golf Club, Foxford Hills Golf Club in Cary and Lincolnshire Marriott Resort & Theater, three sets of Bag o' Beans games, a guitar performance for a dinner party, a commercial photography package worth roughly $500, and many other items and services from area businesses and families.

The concert/fundraiser begins at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7 in the high school's Performing Arts Center, 300 Church St. The concert will feature music the band has played throughout the year, including the music of Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Wonder.