YORK COUNTY — For the third year, the Grafton High School (GHS) band has kicked off its annual Tag Day fundraiser, and neighborhood competition has started.
For the last two years, the Grafton marching band traveled around to hang tags on doors throughout neighborhoods to help raise money for costumes, props, music, and competition fees. Tag Day took place on Sept. 7 and has once again started the yearly neighborhood competition.
All the neighborhoods in Grafton’s sending district are included (the full list of neighborhoods is available online). The neighborhood that donates the most money towards the band will receive a free holiday concert, with the band traveling on trailers and trucks throughout the area playing festive music and carols.
“We really wanted this to be a friendly neighborhood competition. We will actually go to their neighborhood, get all dressed up, and perform in their actual neighborhood. It’s whoever, even by a dollar, will win. People can bring their lawn chairs and their hot cocoa and we’ll perform holiday songs on trailers throughout the neighborhood,” Christine Rogers-Rader, GHS Band publicity chair, said.
Every week, the GHS Band Facebook page will be updated with what neighborhoods are in the top 10 for most donations. The fundraiser is ongoing until the first week of November.
The GHS band is one of the largest marching bands in the area. It competes in division five at local and state band competitions. According to band director Darren Kirsch, the band loves participating in the holiday concert.
“We are so thankful for the community support of our Tag Day fundraiser. It is our main fundraiser for the year, and every little bit helps us achieve our goals to help with uniforms, instruments, and to continue to provide outstanding musical opportunities and experiences for our students. The neighborhood concert competition is our way of saying ‘thank you’ to the community for their continued support of the Grafton Band. The students enjoy working on selections and performing them in small groups for the winning neighborhood,” Kirsch said.
There are multiple ways to donate to the band for the neighborhood competition. The band accepts checks, payable to GHBPA or through PayPal.
Checks can be mailed to:
GHS Attn: Band Department
403 Grafton Drive
Yorktown, VA 23692
The winning neighborhood will be announced in early November on the GHS Band Facebook page.
