Dowagiac Band Boosters have partnered with the Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce to present children’s games at the Beckwith Park during the upcoming July 24-26 Dowagiac Fun Fest & Sizzlin’ Hot Sidewalk Days, as they raise money for the bands’ trip to Disney World in April.
Next spring, members of the Dowagiac Chieftain Marching Band, under the leadership of band director C.J. Brooks and assistant director Katie Hahn, will travel to Florida, where they will perform at Disney World.
“Every four years, the Dowagiac band heads south to the Magic Kingdom, after an extensive fundraising endeavor, which makes our trip possible,” said Claudia Zebell, band boosters treasurer.
“As part of the festivities of the three-day event, members of the marching band look forward to staffing the children’s games, as they raise money for their 2009 trip. Under the leadership of Debbie Krueger, president of the organization, band students and their parents will provide assistance to festival organizers. In addition to staffing the children’s game area, they will also oversee the clean up of the festival site, which is headquartered downtown.
“All donations received from the children’s games will help band members realize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform at the Magic Kingdom,” Zebell said.
“Dowagiac Band Boosters and students are very grateful to members of the community and to businesses that have already contributed their time, energy and monetary donations toward our program,” Krueger said. “We still have a ways to go before we meet our goal. As a result, we are grateful for any opportunity, such as Fun Fest, to provide volunteer labor and, at the same time, have the opportunity to raise the necessary funds for our trip.”
During the Dogwood Fine Arts Festival, the band served refreshments at the Arlo Guthrie concert in May, which attracted people from as far away as Green Bay, Indianapolis and Ohio.
“As a result of these occasions to provide volunteer service, while there are practical matters to consider that involve the need to raise dollars, it's the non-tangible memories that will last a lifetime,” Zebell said. “Band members are able to represent the community of Dowagiac to those people who live outside our city, as well as serving those families that live here. As a result, community bonds are strengthened, as parents and students work together toward a common goal.”
Dowagiac Marching Band and its color guard, which consist of approximately 100 members, perform at football games, competitions and parades, as well as concerts during the school year.
Vickie Phillipson, program director of the Chamber of Commerce and DDA who is overseeing the 2008 festival, extended her heartfelt appreciation to Dowagiac Band Boosters, band students and especially to Krueger, who organized the volunteer staffing of the games and clean up. “Dowagiac Fun Fest is a major under taking for our community, which takes more than six months of planning and fund raising,” Phillipson said. “As a one-person staff, without the assistance of community volunteers, Fun Fest and the other seasonal events that our community enjoys would not be possible.”
Phillipson also extended her appreciation to Kris Lamphere, owner of Who Knew? Consignment and a member of the Chamber Retail Business Committee, for bringing the business organization and Band Boosters together in this effort.
As the recipient of two major grants totaling $16,000, Dowagiac’s longest-running summertime event is sure to produce a high-energy line-up of family entertainment, featuring approximately 50 hours of vocal and instrumental music, and dance; sporting events; children’s games and activities, and interactive workshops; and the new Taste of Dowagiac that welcomes downtown restaurateurs onto the sidewalk to serve their favorite entrees.
The 23rd annual festival, which is an event of the Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce, was underwritten by a $10,000 fine arts grant the Downtown Development Authority received from St. Denys Foundation and a $6,000 grant the Chamber of Commerce received from The Pokagon Fund.
