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Marching bands came together last weekend to share their love of music.
Stagg High School, 8015 W. 111th St., Palos Hills, welcomed more than 20 marching bands from around the area at its annual March Band Jamboree on September 7.
The Jamboree began with the national anthem performed by area middle schoolers from Palos South and Conrady Middle School. The competition brings marching bands from all over the area together to perform for a distinguished panel of judges.
“Students were able to interact with other talented students from all over the area, make some new friends, and really feel the community that is marching band,” said Lisa Banos-Cruz, Jamboree Coordinator and Music Booster Vice-President at Stagg High School. “They gained experience that will help them in their upcoming competition season and insight from phenomenal adjudicators.”
This year marked the 44th annual event, courtesy of Stagg Music Boosters Association, who helped to organize the event along Banos-Cruz.
There were many generous parent volunteers among the 3,500 people in attendance that afternoon. There were approximately 160 adult volunteer slots throughout the day.
“Stagg has only been able to provide this amazing event to our band community for 44 years through the help of our long legacy of dedicated parent volunteers,” Banos-Cruz said. “It is a musical ensemble that brings people together like none other and I believe that the Jamboree must have begun as a celebration of this beautiful art and sport. The Jamboree is usually the first competition of the season for area marching bands and so it serves as a warm-up for the competitive season where students gain experience while celebrating the community that marching band demonstrates.”
Marching band, which includes a color guard, provides a unique opportunity for students to form relationships while showcasing their musical and physical talents, Banos-Cruz said.
This marked the Music Boosters’ biggest fundraiser of the year, which benefited all of the Stagg music programs: band, choir and color guard.
“As a high schooler myself, I also participated in the Jamboree,” Banos-Cruz said. “At that time, I loved watching the different bands and how one basic concept could be interpreted and elevated in so many different ways. I loved the community and the fact that all of the guests were there for the love of marching bands.
“Now, as the coordinator of the Jamboree, my feelings are still the same, however, in addition I love watching the Stagg parents come together for the sake of their children and work like a well-oiled machine. I think that is a really beautiful thing and it speaks volumes that the Stagg Music Boosters has the ability to make that unity happen.”
The Grand Champion of the day was Prospect High School.
Awards were also given out to: Eisenhower High School, Kaneland High School, Wheeling High School, H.D. Jacobs High School, Bloom Township High School, Glenbrook North High School, Bremen High School, Richards High School, Herscher High School, Providence Catholic High School, Lockport Township High School, Andrew High School, Naperville Central High School, Downers Grove South High School, Plainfield South High School, Carl Sandburg High School, Plainfield East High School, Plainfield Central High School, Romeoville High School, Fremd High School, Reavis High School and Oak Park/River Forest High School.
There were two concession stands where guests could purchase food throughout the day. Featured on the menu were Papa Joe’s cheese and sausage pizza, Stagg’s own “Mr. Thornberry” (Jason Thornberry, a school dad known for his cooking) hamburgers and cheeseburgers that were prepared by school dads, Brent Lewandowski and Rick Vega. The dads also cooked the school’s ever-famous Marching Taco (Fritos, cheese, and chili).
Profits earned from the event went into Stagg’s Music Boosters account and will be distributed to the band, choir and color guard budgets for the academic calendar year.