BY JULIE JEFFERY MANWARREN
Calling all princes and princesses: you are invited to A Royal Brunch hosted by the Abington Heights Band Boosters on Saturday, Nov. 30, at POSH at the Scranton Club, 404 N. Washington Ave.
The event is a fundraiser for the Abington Heights Marching Comets. Tickets are $12 for children 6 and under and $20 for ages 7 and older. Children are encouraged to come dressed in their favorite costumes. The event offers face painting, photo opportunities and raffle tickets for an extra cost. Raffle prizes include a Disney Frozen II Arendelle Castle and other age appropriate prizes for little princes and princesses.
Tickets can be purchased through any band member or band staff member or online at bit.ly/2NEk1w9.
The Marching Comets practice and perform for 11 months out of the year, performing at Abington Heights football games, community events, parades and for veterans and senior centers. The Abington Heights Marching Comets include the school’s marching band, color guard and dance team.
“Marching band is a really great way to get to know people at school,” said band trombonist, Jakob Quanbeck. “Coming into high school, it’s a way to get a leg up because band camp starts before school begins. You get to know each other and begin forming those relationships with peers and upperclassmen. We have formed a lot of friendships.”
The Abington Heights Band Boosters (AHBB) helps raise funding and supports advancement for the band. Booster Board President Cathy Capwell serves with Vice President Laura Sampogne, Secretary Kim Rafalko, Treasurer Natalie Studebaker and Public Relations Officer Roxanne Graham.
The AHBB provides uniforms and pizza and drinks for performers at away games; buys and donates instruments; supports drum majors who attend camp and raises money
for scholarships.
This year, the group planned A Royal Brunch to raise money for the Marching Comets to perform at Hershey Park on Dec. 14.
“We’ve had such a great year,” Laura Sampogne shared. “The kids really came together and bonded. We wanted to provide a chance for them to go on a band trip together.”
Abington Heights senior Nina Sampogne is Miss Comet. She joined the marching band her freshman year and helped form the dance team.
“The band really wanted to go on a trip, something that would bring us all together,” Nina said. “We wanted to perform in Hershey, but doing that trip was very expensive. We needed to raise money so that everybody could go and it wouldn’t be limited to just people who could afford it. We planned this Royal Brunch where band and dance team members could come together, raise money for our trip, dress up as princesses and princes, and do something for the community who come to see us perform.”
Band director Katy Lane brought the idea of the Royal Brunch to the Boosters. She was involved with a similar fundraiser at another school.
Coming together with a common cause is nothing new for these students. Performing and serving together has made their friendships stronger and their high school experience richer.
“Honestly, all of my happy memories in school, and many of the ways that I have grown as a person, I can dedicate to the band,” Nina said. “They are really just my family. We’ve met so many people through band and created so many relationships with people in the school. We’ve brought lots of smiles and made a difference in our community.”
If you go
- What: A Royal Brunch
- When: Saturday, Nov. 30, 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
- Where: POSH at the Scranton Club, 404 North Washington Ave., Scranton
- Cost: $12 for children 6 and younger; $20 for those 7 and older
- Tickets/info: bit.ly/2NEk1w9
