Half a dozen times over the past 24 years 600 Allianeites have traveled 1,627 miles to show their dedication and support of the Alliance High School Marching Band. Band members, accompanied by parents and siblings, have been making this trek to DC every four years since 1988. Actually, the very first trip was taken by a former band director and the father of current director Dave Rischling, when he took the trip with his Bayard band. Four years later, when he was teaching in Alliance and made that trip again with the Alliance band a tradition began and the band has been taking this trip every four years since.
Another band trip is planned for the summer of 2012 when a new group of 120 Alliance band enthusiasts will set out for the nation’s capitol. The price of this trip is around 1,650 dollars for students who are flying and around 1,000 dollars for those taking the bus. This price has gone up 400 dollars since the 2008 band trip. The price for both trips include all transportation, rooms for five nights, five breakfast meals, four suppers, and admission to most of the attractions the band goes to see, such as the Harbor Cruise and Mt. Vernon. Those traveling by plane will follow different routs and will constitute a full day of travel. The bus trip is going to take 34 hours and these travelers will leave a day earlier.
There is one bus going this year. One student taking the bus, senior Jonny Weishaar, says, “I love traveling by vehicle and also the 600 dollar difference really matters because in the fall I will be going to college and that money could be used toward better things than being in an airplane.” Delta Wilson, another senior Alliance High band member, has a different view, however, “I am not sure whether I am taking the bus or the plane, but I think I will take the plane because all my friends are and I don’t want to sit with a stranger.”
To raise money band members have been canvasing the streets of Alliance trying to help fund their band trip. A few fundraisers the band has participated in throughout the 2011-2012 year include magazine sales, cookie dough sales, the basketball spaghetti feed, and also the bake sale held the same night as the spaghetti feed. There are also many individual fundraisers that Mr. Rischling approves.
“The highlight for the students is marching the parade. There are 30,000 people lining the route, military members will be in the parade plus many, many others. Also, students love the presentation of the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and, of course, going to New York because, “It’s just so big,” said Mr Rischling.. This year travelers are also staying one extra night in New York. According to Mr. Rischling, the extra night will include, “Either a Broadway show or a baseball game, the prices of these activities are not included in the trip cost.” Mr. Rischling said he is looking forward to going to see the new memorial for Ground Zero.
