It’s expensive to field a competitive marching band & color guard, indoor percussion, and winter guard. While the Souderton Area School District pays staff salaries and provides facilities, transportation, various instruments, and certain equipment, the BRBB pays for many of the other expenses incurred by the Big Red Marching Band & Color Guard, Encore! Indoor Percussion, and the Forte Winter Guard. How many $ do we need? To cover our budgeted expenses, we need to raise $30,000 each year.
To learn about expenses, the budget, and more, attend the monthly BRBB meetings. Meetings are typically held on the first Monday of the month at 7pm in the SAHS Band Room. Watch your e-mail and check the calendar for the schedule. You can also read the minutes of previous meetings.
Over the years, our fundraising efforts have included many different types of product sales and events: pizza, candles, KidStuff books, sweatshirts, candy bars, car washes, bowling nights, clothing drives … so on and so forth. In August 2015, in an effort to reduce the frequency of events and sales and the volunteer time necessary to oversee those events and sales, we tried out a new approach: asking that each family in the program seek out sponsorship and donation support. In anticipation of a successful campaign, we eliminated some of the more time-consuming, volunteer-heavy events. Results of the 2015 sponsorship appeal were strong and so this is now an annual event.
Our annual goal is to raise at least $150 in sponsorships or donations per student member. We understand that some students may raise more and some may raise less, but working together we feel we can achieve our overall goal.
How? By sending letters to friends, family members, and area businesses and asking for their financial support.
The process begins during Band Camp, typically on the first day, when students complete and address their letters.
While the anticipated support from our sponsorship letters allows us to eliminate some fundraising activities, it is not enough by itself, and we continue to raise funds in other ways. Visit our main Fundraising page to learn more.