Wanted: dirty cars and hungry customers

    Experiencing another successful musical year at Houlton High School, band director Joe Fagnant and the Music Boosters are in the final stages of fund-raising for the musicians’ trip to New York City.
    This year’s group will leave Houlton on Thursday, May 7, stopping at the University of Southern Maine for clinics and workshops with the music department, then on to Providence, R.I. for dinner and a special event, checking into their hotel in Stamford, Conn. at the end of the day.
    The 150-member band and chorus group will participate in a music festival at the Riverside Church in New York City on Friday, May 8. The festival groups competing will be concert and symphonic bands, off beat percussion ensembles, concert choirs and chamber choirs.
    The evening concludes with dinner in Times Square and one of the following Broadway shows: “The Lion King”, “Chicago” or “Phantom of the Opera”.
    Saturday, May 9, the students will be on a sight-seeing adventure that will include, 5th Avenue, CBS studios, Trump Tower, Rockefeller Center, NBC studios, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, lunch at historic Grand Central Terminal, a tour of the Empire State Building and returning to the festival site for awards at the end of the day.
    The evening includes a dinner cruise and dance around the harbor with all the students from the 31 groups participating in the festival.
    Before leaving for Houlton on Sunday, May 10, the group will visit the Statue of Liberty.
    This trip has been planned for two years and funds are still needed to complete the necessary $100,000 in anticipated expenses for a trip of this magnitude.
    “The last time we traveled to NYC, we had less students and of course the costs were lower. With our increased number of students, everything goes up because of more busing, hotels and tickets to events.  The music parents and students have been working extremely hard at all of the fund-raising events, and we have a few more events to host before we leave on May 7,” said Fagnant, music department chairperson and trip coordinator.
    The final fund-raising events include a special carwash and combined Schwan’s truckload sale on Saturday, April 25.  There will be two simultaneous car washes from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Machias Savings Bank and F.A. Peabody Company, both on North Street.  The Schwan’s truck will be located at the Machias Bank site for customers to purchase products with proceeds earmarked for the students’ trip.
    Any individual may purchase directly from the truck sale and music students are also taking pre-order sales up until Wednesday, April 22.  Contact Dorothy Widhalm for more information at 532-4282.
    The last fund-raiser for the trip will be the annual talent show on Wednesday, April 29 at 7 p.m. at the high school auditorium. Tickets are $4 for adults and $2 for students and senior citizens.
    There will be $300 in cash awarded to the best talent selected by the judges and the audience.
    If you would like to donate to this project please mail your donation to the Houlton High School Music Department, 7 Bird Street in Houlton or call 532-6551.
    Donations of prepackaged breakfast food items and bottled water for the bus trip would also be appreciated and can be dropped off Wednesday, May 6 at the high school.