Braden River High band boosters do more than fundraise

Volunteers for the Braden River High School Band Boosters Association include several multitalented parents. 

Of course, they fundraise. The nonprofit’s annual goal is to raise over $200,000 to support the high school’s band program. But these parents also act as travel agents, tailors, cooks, cleaners, movers and builders. 

“It’s my second full time job,” President Nicole Soler said in a half-joking, half-serious manner. “We’re all full time employees. I work in IT.”

Jessica Eastman is a nurse practitioner. Naturally, she serves as the “medic mom,” making sure the band members are fed and hydrated before competitions. Her official title is Color Guard representative.

Danny Abercrombie is a mechanical engineer by trade. His most recent side project was designing and building a giant jack-in-the-box for the marching band last season. 

He engineered the walls to come apart during the performance and come back together for each show thereafter. The box was designed to have a student inside that pulled a pin on cue, then all four walls collapsed onto the field for a dramatic effect. 

Director of Bands Cliff Dawson said a productive booster organization is essential to the students’ success. There are 83 members of the marching band, but the band program serves 149 students. 

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The program includes three concert bands, three jazz bands, a percussion ensemble and the color guard, which is akin to a dance troupe, but they use flags and other props to enhance their performances. 

“Without (the Boosters) support, we would not achieve the same level of excellence,” Dawson said. “Every task they undertake, no matter how small, is crucial to the success of the students.”

To perform in the marching band costs at least $800. Color guard has two seasons, so that’s about $1,500. The Boosters set aside $10,000 each year to pay for students who can’t afford the expense. 

The nonprofit raises most of its funds through manning the concession stand at football games, but members also throw occasional fundraisers, too. They hold periodic bake sales and try to pull together an auction once a year.

Outside of scholarships, the funds are spent on equipment, props and travel. A trip to the marching band championships requires charter buses, hotel rooms and a lot of pizza. 

Anyone with organizational skills is encouraged to join, but ultimately, the boosters are successful because they all share a common goal to see their children succeed. 

“It’s so much fun," Soler said. "You really get to know the parents you’re volunteering with, and you make friends. As adults, it’s harder to do that.”

Soler also pointed out that it’s not just the parents running around doing all the hard work. The boosters do what they do because of the dedication shown by the kids and the band directors, who are willing to put in equally long hours of practice. 

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All of the hard work paid off when Braden River High School’s Marching Band of Pirates won the Division 2A state championship Nov. 16. It was the band’s first state championship since 2019.

“It was like we won ourselves,” Soler said. “We’ve seen the growth going back to July when these kids first started, and then it’s November, and we’re at their very last performance. I’m getting filled (with emotion). These kids are amazing and what they do is incredible.” 

Soler’s daughter Kirsten is a junior. She started in the color guard as a freshman. 

Kirsten Soler’s freshman-year reaction to her mom and dad volunteering at the concession stand during football games was, “Go home,” but her attitude has since changed. Now, she wants an explanation if Soler has to miss a show. 

For Nicole Soler, that’s what makes the effort worthwhile. 

“You get to spend that extra time with your kid, even if it’s just within the same vicinity,” she said. “It’s hard to come by with teenagers.” 

So the parents do what they do, just on a grander scale. 

They hand wash multiple uniforms and line dry them. They pack 100 lunches and haul instruments in a trailer. When the teenagers forget their instruments or accidentally drop a mouthpiece into a drainage grate, both of which have happened, they find loaners.

Equally importantly, the Boosters stand on the sidelines and cheer.