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July 30, 2005
Panther Pride
Well, it's almost that time of year again. Football season! The hard work has already begun. The players are already out on the field in the high summer heat (this week over 100 degrees at times), memorizing plays, practicing formations, pushing themselves to exhaustion. Because they want to be the best. They want to make Portland proud. And once the season starts, they will march out onto the field with their heads held high, wearing their hot, heavy uniforms and carrying their heavy equipment, praying all of their practice and hard work will earn them the respect and pride these exceptional teenagers so richly deserve.
But they are NOT the football team. They are the members of the Portland High School Marching Band. They work hard. No athlete, no member of a team works harder. They must learn intricate marching formations and patterns, learn multiple musical pieces, and learn to do all of these things IN UNISON - while most are carrying 40 or 50 pounds of equipment. They do this without being paid. They do this many times without much recognition (how many times have I seen the stands at a home game virtually empty during the halftime show). They do this without much funding; the band relies almost exclusively on the sale of SMART cards and the money it receives from game concessions to pay for uniforms (at $400 a student), music, and instruments (most of which cost thousands of dollars each).
And unlike the football team, they do this without a great deal of community financial support.
I urge you to support PHS students. ALL PHS students. Not just the football team. Support the band. Support the cheerleaders. Support the basketball team, bowling team, golf team, tennis team, baseball team, soccer teams, track and field teams, speech team, drama team, chorus, and academic team. All of these teenagers work very hard at what they do. Many of you seem to have forgotten those other students exist. Portland Pride means pride in ALL of our students who excel and work hard toward a goal.
So please remember the next time you attend a Portland football game that there are other students on the field who deserve our respect, who deserve to be seen and heard, who deserve your attention during their halftime show (snacks will be available after the show is over). And when your place of business, your neighbor, your friend at church, or YOU are looking for a "team" to support financially, think of the band. After all, their blood runs purple too.
Posted by laa at July 30, 2005 11:12 AM
Comments
Hi, I'm a parent of a son in the PHS Band, I was so happy to see the letter about their blood runs purple too ! These kids work very hard and spend many hours out in the hot sun practicing to be their very best, and to repersent their school, football team , and show their panther pride. It would be so great to see the portland community contribute to the band and give them the respect the band members have worked so hard to earn !!
Thanks,
pround band parent
Posted by: kristal lawrence at September 9, 2005 10:56 PM
The paypal account is a great idea!! I agree that all students should receive support and recognition....
Posted by: gw at August 8, 2005 01:42 PM
Thanks for the info!
If PHS is willing to set up a Paypal account, we'll be happy to add donation links to their account from www.PortlandTN.com.
Charlie
Posted by: Charlie Myers at July 30, 2005 09:46 PM
Thanks for your comment and interest!!
I'm not sure if all of the different organizations are the same, but I know for the band, fundraisers, donations, etc., are usually made out the "PHS Band Boosters." However, for speech team, chorus, drama, academic team, etc., usually we just make checks out to PHS and specify in the "For" section what the money is for. I would think if a monetary donation was made out to "PHS" with specifications in the "For" section of a check, the funds would go to the appropriate place.
The PayPal idea is a great one. That would be a wonderful, easy way for folks to contribute to a worthy cause.
Again, thanks a bunch for your comments!
Posted by: laa at July 30, 2005 07:06 PM
Is there a way that folks can support a PHS activity in a simple financial way?
Specifically, is it possible to mail a check to (for example) "PHS Academic Team" to the school and have it get to the right people?
Or should the check be payable to "Portland High School" with a note that 100% goes to the Academic Team?
Another possibility is a Paypal Donate account. This is a quick and easy way to make a contribution using a credit card.
I have no idea how PHS handles these kinds of accounting issues!
Thanks for any information you can provide.
Posted by: Charlie Myers at July 30, 2005 06:53 PM