School may be out for the summer, but the Fort Frances High School senior band might just be the hardest-working group in show business.
Members have been spending their summer working to raise thousands of dollars for their trip to Italy next March Break. That includes giving up their Saturdays to busk, as well as sell homemade perogies and baked goods, among many things, at the Clover Valley Farmers’ Market here.
“It’s worth it because we’re going to Italy next year,” noted band member Erik Gustafson who, with his bass guitar and a guitar-playing friend, was busking for those who turned up at the market this past Saturday.
“So we want to help out as much as we can, so we can get there and enjoy ourselves because it’s going to be worth it,” he enthused.
“It’s been really great,” said Fort High music teacher and band director John Dutton. “We’ve never done a lot of entertaining in small groups, but [students] signed up to work as buskers.
“We’ve had kids playing, heck we had bagpipes one week, we’ve had kids dancing, we’ve had all kinds of entertainment, and it’s been really well-received out there and the kids have been very keen on it,” Dutton added.
Fundraising through the local farmers’ market originally was supposed to go until the beginning of August and was just for selling perogies. But it’s kept growing thanks to the efforts of parents and students, said Dutton.
Alongside busking and perogies, the students have been selling baked goods, dish clothes, dill for the upcoming pickling season, gift baskets, and virtually anything else they can think of.
“I think things are going really well,” Dutton remarked. “Our parents are so supportive and they’ve constantly come up with ideas and different things.”
So far, the band has raised more than $120,000 since their last trip a few years ago.
The current goal is another $80,000 before 95 people—band members and supervisors included—head off to Italy during the March Break to play concerts and take in all the sights.
It’s a trip that’s worth giving up some weekends in the summer for, said band member Sara Kellar, whose turn it was this past Saturday to look after the booth at the farmers’ market.
“Everybody’s looking forward to this,” Kellar said.
“It’s going to be so much fun,” she added. “We’re going to Venice, Florence, and Rome, we’re going to see the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel, all that kind of stuff.”
“Its value is way beyond the 10 days or 12 days that they spend there,” stressed Dutton. “It’s a great lifetime experience and I think from a community standpoint, they come back and their cultural experience adds to the enrichment of the community because they’ve got experience that they can share with others.”
Once they wrap up at the farmers’ market at the end of the summer, the homemade perogies will be going on sale by order only. The band also will be organizing its regular citrus sale, along with other fundraising efforts.
Ticket sales also have begun on the band’s annual truck raffle, which this year will take place on Dec. 27. Only 1,000 tickets are being sold at $100 each for a GMC 4×4 valued at about $44,000 (after taxes).
There also will be five early-bird draws at the first of each month for $1,000.
Tickets can be bought at a variety of locations, such as the Fort Frances Times office and Fort Frances General Supply, as well as from band members.
For more information, contact Dutton through the high school (274-7747) or at home (274-9603).
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
