Bagging for band
By JARED PUTNAM Union Sentinel Editor

Sentinel photo/Jared Putnam UCHS Band students raised money bagging groceries for tips.

Members of the Union County High School Band and Color Guard spent two days bagging and carrying out groceries at Ingles of Blairsville as the students attempt to raise enough money to participate in the annual McDonalds Thanksgiving Day Parade in Chicago, IL.

"It's an honor to be selected to go," Kathy Saunders of the UCHS Band Booster Club said. "The band has never done anything like this before."

The trip is expected to cost between $425 and $500 per student. Not all students can afford to pay that much money, creating a need for help from the community.

A total of 35 students worked at Ingles from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. on both Saturday, June 30, and Tuesday, July 3. While some were stationed at the door to accept donations, most were busy working in the checkout lines inside.

In all the group raised $2,805.80 in tips and donations. That money was divided up based on the number of hours each student worked.

Sentinel photo/Jared Putnam Band students accept donations outside of Ingles.

Saunders said that everyone involved is "very grateful" to Ingles, which assigned their regular employees to other duties and allowed the students this opportunity. "I thought it was so great of them to do that," Saunders said. "It was very nice of them. "A lot of the kids were able to make $50 to $100 in one day. Our job is to keep having these fundraisers and let the community know that we need some help."

Saunders said that the group has considered garage sales and bake sales in the future, but the most important need is for sponsorships from businesses.

"We want all of the band students to be able to go [and] for some kids, the only way they are going to be able to afford to go is through fundraising," Saunders said. "The biggest thing we need is help from businesses."