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Neighbors | Zack Shively.The Fitch Band Spaghetti Dinner offered a basket raffle, a 50/50 raffle and a bake sale. The bands placed out 93 baskets for attendees to try to win.
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Neighbors | Zack Shively.The Austintown bands raised funds for new instruments and uniforms with their spaghetti band dinner on Feb. 24. Pictured, the Fitch Symphonic Band played a selection of marches by Aaron Copland, a medley of songs from BBC's "Dr. Who," and songs from the movies "La La Land" and "The Incredibles" in the Fitch cafeteria.
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Neighbors | Zack Shively.The Austintown band parents organized the Fitch Band Spaghetti Dinner. They arrived at the school around 6 a.m. to begin setting up the event and cooking. The gave the attendees spaghetti, salads, cupcakes and beverages.
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Neighbors | Zack Shively.The Fitch Band Spaghetti Dinner featured performances by the freshman band, the concert band, both Jazz 1 and Jazz 2 bands, the Fitch symphonic band, the fifth-grade band and the middle school bands. Pictured, Jackie Mortimer directed the fifth-grade band to showcase what they have learned since coming back from winter break.
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Neighbors | Zack Shively.The Fitch Band Spaghetti Dinner ran from noon to 7p.m. People throughout the community came and went during the event, which featured performances from the Austintown bands.
By ZACK SHIVELY
The Austintown bands played at the school’s Fitch Band Spaghetti Dinner on Feb. 24 in the Fitch cafeteria.
The band parents organized the event led by chair Bob Pope and cochair Jen Varley to raise money for the bands’ instruments and uniforms. They passed out spaghetti, salad and beverages from 12-7 p.m. while bands from fifth-grade to high school performed.
Pope and a group of band parents arrived at the school at 6 a.m. to begin making the sauce and cooking the spaghetti for the event. More parents rotated in shifts to help continue cooking and passing out the meals and to cover the other events.
The parents organized a bake sale, basket raffle and a 50/50 raffle. The bands received 93 baskets from community businesses and groups such as Camelot Lanes, COSI and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The students brought in the dessert and bake sale items. The band parents asked the even numbered grade levels to bring in cupcakes for the dessert and odd numbered grade levels brought in bake sale items.
Pope believes that the event helps the community and students. It gives the students a way to give back in the form of entertainment and dessert, and it allows the community to support and help the band.
Varley, who will take over for Pope for the following years, has watched the planning for the event every step of the way. The event took six months to plan prior to the event and hours of organization and cooking on the day of the event.
The freshman band kicked off the event at noon. The concert band followed them proceeded by the two jazz bands. The most experienced group, the Fitch Symphonic Band, then played before the least experienced band, the fifth grade band, performed. Each band had an hour to play, aside from the shared hour for the jazz bands. The event ended with the middle school bands, which played from 5-7 p.m.
The event brought three band directors to the cafeteria. Jackie Mortimer directed the fifth-grade band from the intermediate school. Jeremy McClaine led the sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade. Wesley O’Connor conducted the high school groups, including the jazz bands.