Last November the golf cart used to haul band equipment for the Ceres High Marching band suddenly stopped running. The last run up a hill at championships held at a community college in Los Angeles did the aging machine in.
Now the Band Boosters Club hopes to replace it with the help of the community.
"We have been doing fund raisers all year to buy a new golf cart or a quad to pull our instruments onto the competition field," said parent Laura Lott.
Ric Campero, the CHS band director, said the old cart was purchased used for $2,600. He expects that a newer used cart will cost anywhere from $2,000 to $4,000.
The cart has typically been used anytime band equipment needs to be hauled to a football game, field show competition, special shows or rehearsals. Use is heaviest from August through November.
Campero said fundraisers have included the annual spaghetti dinner, beef jerky sale, and See's Candies sale but noted "we have to be careful not to step on other school fundraisers. We're limited to a lot of things we could do."
So far the group has collected $500 from the donation of aluminum cans and recyclable bottles. The band boosters collects aluminum cans at Ceres High's student parking lot every third Saturday of the month from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Campero said funds are also needed to underwrite other expenses. There are rising gas prices in traveling to field shows, and the food that parents serve to band members on out-of-town trips.
"We're trying to have a little extra for the trips because we like to feed the students. We have parents who cook and we buy all this stuff. We have suffered from the high costs of gas. We have partially paid for the transportation. We do get some help from the school but not everything is covered."
In last fall's competition, CHS's marching band finished 13 out of 21 groups while the winter guard was fourth out of 11 schools.
The CHS jazz band is still performing to the end of the school year with a retirement dinner gig set as well as performances at Mae Hensley Junior High and San Vaughn Elementary School this month in May.
Persons wishing to send along a cash donation to the effort may send checks made out to the Ceres High School Band Boosters, and mail to them at P.O. Box 307, Ceres CA 95307.
Now the Band Boosters Club hopes to replace it with the help of the community.
"We have been doing fund raisers all year to buy a new golf cart or a quad to pull our instruments onto the competition field," said parent Laura Lott.
Ric Campero, the CHS band director, said the old cart was purchased used for $2,600. He expects that a newer used cart will cost anywhere from $2,000 to $4,000.
The cart has typically been used anytime band equipment needs to be hauled to a football game, field show competition, special shows or rehearsals. Use is heaviest from August through November.
Campero said fundraisers have included the annual spaghetti dinner, beef jerky sale, and See's Candies sale but noted "we have to be careful not to step on other school fundraisers. We're limited to a lot of things we could do."
So far the group has collected $500 from the donation of aluminum cans and recyclable bottles. The band boosters collects aluminum cans at Ceres High's student parking lot every third Saturday of the month from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Campero said funds are also needed to underwrite other expenses. There are rising gas prices in traveling to field shows, and the food that parents serve to band members on out-of-town trips.
"We're trying to have a little extra for the trips because we like to feed the students. We have parents who cook and we buy all this stuff. We have suffered from the high costs of gas. We have partially paid for the transportation. We do get some help from the school but not everything is covered."
In last fall's competition, CHS's marching band finished 13 out of 21 groups while the winter guard was fourth out of 11 schools.
The CHS jazz band is still performing to the end of the school year with a retirement dinner gig set as well as performances at Mae Hensley Junior High and San Vaughn Elementary School this month in May.
Persons wishing to send along a cash donation to the effort may send checks made out to the Ceres High School Band Boosters, and mail to them at P.O. Box 307, Ceres CA 95307.
