303-328-3060Northglenn Marching Band gets $1,000 November giveaway
The school has more than 100 kids participating in the marching band, color guard, percussion ensemble and two jazz bands. “We are always looking for creative ways to fund our program,” said Jason Buckingham, Northglenn High School band director. “Investment in the arts is so important to our youth,” he said. “This award is one example of how we can continue to offer programs in our schools.”
“We have been fortunate to support a number of different community organizations through our “Crazy 12 in 12 Giveaway program,” said John Ward, owner of Applewood Plumbing Heating & Electric. “The arts enrich the areas we live in and we must continue to encourage our youth to share their talents with our communities.” Applewood Plumbing Heating & Electric supports local charities through the “Crazy 12 in 12 Giveaway” and will begin its third year of the program in 2008. To date, more than 30 organizations have received support through the program.
Northglenn’s band has received numerous accolades over the years having finished as a finalist in 27 out of 27 years, according to Buckingham. “We have eight state championships,” he said. The percussion ensemble will travel to the Winter Guard International World Championships to compete again this year. The school won the competition in 1997 and has consistently in the top finishers annually.
“Although we have won a lot of competitions, it is more important to understand the value of these kinds of programs in our schools,” said Carolyn Nelson, band booster president. “On average our kids maintain 3.6 grade point averages,” she said. In a recent study, band students at the school reported they participated in more than one, sometimes two and three other extracurricular activities. “It is hard to dismiss the strong correlation of high academic performance and participation in the arts,” Nelson said.
