WHS Music Department Wants to Support Your Good Night’s Sleep, and You Can Support Them In Return
by Caylee Winpigler
Are you in the market for a mattress, box-spring, or some other sleeping necessity? Then come to the music department down at Walkersville High School! The fundraiser they are hosting will be selling mattresses on Sunday, February 19th from 10am to 5pm.
On Sunday, February 19th, the company helping to facilitate the fundraiser will be in the Walkersville High School cafeteria. Prior to 10am, they will have set up mattresses in order for potential customers to physically see and touch the products. While you are there, you will also have a chance to run into the various music students that the fundraiser is benefiting dressed as a mattress.
The concept of a mattress fundraiser is, admittedly, bizarre. However, it has been proven to work. Brunswick High School has done this fundraiser previously and collected upward of $5,000.
The fundraiser was initiated and planned by music director Lucas Hogan for months. This is “the first major fundraiser the music department has had in a long time,” explained senior cellist Noni Hill, “This’ll hopefully help the department to grow and advance in a much greater way than in the past.”
The question comes to mind as to why a school would sell mattresses. The truth of the matter is that everyone needs somewhere to sleep, and mattresses facilitate that night time tradition. Additionally, it is an efficient method for the music department to accumulate acknowledgement and funds.
Senior Jessica Handwerk who is a violist and the secretary for the Music Honors Society recognized the importance of this fundraiser. Handwerk said, “Raising money for the [music] program is a good thing, but just the idea of orchestrating (pun intended) this type of event is a first for the WHS music department. It’s the first step in making us something that should be taken seriously. Everyone expects the athletic teams to do a bunch of fundraising and the community generally supports them. By taking the same approach as they do, we are saying that we are just as important.”
Not only will the music department gain from any and all mattress purchases, but so will the customer. The prices are from 30-50% off retails prices and there are even more ways to save.
If you know a student enrolled in a music class ask them for a coupon. The coupon has another 10% off your purchase and, by using their coupon, you will be directly supporting that student. On the coupon is the name of the student and when handing the coupon in at the cash register a portion of the money that is going towards the music department will specifically be set aside for that student’s musical needs.
Also, firefighters, nurses, doctors, policemen, and FCPS employees can receive an additional 10% off their purchase for being in any of those professions.
Other costs beyond purchasing a mattress include delivery and take-away. They have a warehouse in Baltimore that you are more than welcome to drive to and pick up your mattress, or you can have it delivered and installed for $75. In replacing an old mattress or box-spring, they will take-away all items that you desire to discard for $25 per item.
The music program is hoping for a large turn out and encourages everyone to spread word of the fundraiser.
How the money of this fundraiser will be spent, has already been determined by Hogan based on the well established needs. Hill explained the goal, “The goal of the fundraiser is to put some money into the music department’s pocket. With the money, we might be able to afford uniforms for our various ensembles, gaining new instruments, and repairing older ones.”
As the consumer, Handwerk cited some ways in which you can gain, “We are all working to make this program better and it’ll be nice to be able to look back in a few years and say ‘I helped build that’.”
Hill also expressed her desire for the outcome of this fundraiser other than collecting enough money for concert uniforms and instrument maintenance, “Not only will people be able to say that they supported the music program, but I think this experience will bring about the same familial or communal emotions that are felt at any football game or homecoming dance.”
Understandably, this fundraiser hits only a select market of individuals- those who are looking for new bedding. For those people with an interest in helping there is still, luckily, a way you can help.
Those interested in helping can simply write a check for the music boosters of Walkersville High School and give it directly to Hogan or drop it in the white box in the music room.
Another way to help is just by showing support as Hill described, “Doing things such as attending concerts and inviting others could encourage it, not in a monetary sense, but just by bringing [it] attention. Another huge way that would help keep the music program running is to, if you’re a student, enroll yourself in any of our varying music courses at school.”
The students of the music program know the importance of music and junior clarinetist Isaac Cheston said it best, “Life would B (♭) (flat) without music. Music impacts us in so many ways even before we were born. There is music all around us and it is for us to appreciate and live through if we chose to.”
In closing, please come out or tell others about the music departments fundraiser. Simply by spreading the word you are helping the music booster in an important way. The music program hopes to see you Sunday, February 19th!
