Contributions continue pouring in from the community to equip the Hattiesburg High School Fighting Tigers Marching Band, as the Hattiesburg Public Schools Foundation presented a check for nearly $7,700 at the April Hattiesburg Public School District Board of Trustees meeting for the student musicians.
HHS band members Kylan Johnson and Bolivar Wilson modeled two new uniforms for the board and those in attendance at the meeting, the result of the ongoing outreach to the band. The donation from the Foundation comes on the heels of a more than $9,000 contribution from the Eureka-Royal Street-Rowan-Hattiesburg High Schools alumni group (EUROHA) presented in November.
Both EUROHA and the Hattiesburg Public Schools Foundation continue to receive donations and plan to present those to the band in the future.
"Everything we do, we do for the community, and we're so grateful for their support of us," Wilson said.
Dan Kibodeaux of the Hattiesburg Schools Foundation presented the donation to the board, saying "it's a huge step forward, but not the end of the need, or the story."
"For example, if the lifespan of a band uniform averages 10 years, then we need to be setting aside 10 percent of the estimated replacement cost every year so there’s not a huge expense, and a crisis, in the 10th year," he said.
"Many community members really stepped up to help with the uniform replacement. That’s a really big deal, and cause for celebration."
Kibodeaux added that contributions to the fund will also be used to replace band instruments, as many current ones are old and in varying stages of disrepair.
Andria McCloud, president of the Hattiesburg Band Parents organization, said she's grateful for the generosity of those who want to see the band at its best. "It's a real morale boost for the students, and takes us to the next level," she said.
