Donors push Evergreen band over the top

Sometime soon, Evergreen High marching band members will lay down instruments and color guard flags to start penning “Thank you” notes.

By Friday morning, a $25,000 surge of donations from Clark County, the metro area and from afar had covered travel costs for all students scheduled to march in the Jan. 20 inaugural parade in Washington, D.C.

The announcement came from Connie Ewart, a jubilant band booster president.

“It’s just been an amazing outpouring from the community, it really has,” Ewart said.

“We are so excited and thrilled. We will have our kids writing out ‘thank yous.’ We really want to reach out and tell everyone how much we appreciate their generosity.” she said.

Since media coverage of the bands’ plight emerged -- several students among the approximate 150-member group had failed to scratch together the $862 per-person charge -- Ewart has been swamped.

“I’ve talked to friends (of the band), their parents and grandparents,” she said. Evergreen alums have checked in from the East Coast, too.

Ewart logged 2,500 minutes on her cell phone in barely two days, she said. “I’m just overwhelmed,” she said.

Fresh evidence of local generosity came early Friday.

Members of the North County Cruisers car club pitched in $328 after the group learned of a $100 contribution from the Mustangs Unlimited Car Club, which had issued a challenge to other auto clubs.

Even as he headed for Evergreen High with the Cruisers’ donation, member Paul Nelson heard from a mutual member of both clubs the Mustangs group had quickly upped their own gift to $340.

So, he popped in $22 more to push the Cruisers’ total to $350.

“We have a friendly rivalry. It’s just a lot of fun,” Nelson explained.

The group will determine what to do with the donations beyond what’s needed for travel.

Evergreen leaders will get a chance to thank all donors, large and small, during a send-off parade and celebration next Tuesday.

The Plainsmen band will line up at Fircrest Elementary School, about 4:20 p.m.

It then will march east on Northeast Ninth Street to LeRoy Haagen Memorial Park, near 136th Avenue. The band should arrive about 4:30 p.m. for a rally led by city and school district officials.