After months of fundraising, the Cookeville High School Marching Band has raised enough money to begin purchasing new uniforms.
The Putnam County School Board approved the purchase of 200 uniforms at an estimated cost of $105,000 using funds raised by the band. Cookeville High School Band Director David Talbert said the group has not yet raised enough to cover all the uniforms needed.
“We still have about $25,000 or $30,000 more to go to get everything,” Talbert said. “But we actually, we probably already have $15,000 more towards that final goal as well at this point.”
Talbert said the school moved forward in anticipation that all of the uniforms would arrive in time for the start of the next school year. He added that the band is excited to be getting close to having new uniforms.
“We last bought uniforms in the early 2000s, and so we have made these last for about 20-25 years now, and they are certainly showing their wear, and it’s more than time for us to try to buy some new ones,” Tlabert said. “They are about $650 a piece, and so I was shocked when we got the price quote and how much it has gone up since the last time we bought uniforms. But hopefully, these will last another 15 or 20 years for us as well.”
Talbert said he has been pleased to see the community supporting the marching band during its fundraising efforts.
“We didn’t even really start our fundraising drive until July, so it’s really amazing that we have gotten this far, this soon, thanks to a handful of parents, especially one Dawn White,” Talbert said. “The community has been so very generous, and so we appreciate everybody who has stepped up to help us with that.”
Talbert said the band’s strong presence in the community has helped drive support, calling it a testament to the hard work of both current and former students. He added that the band is still working to raise the remaining funds and encouraged anyone interested in donating to contact the high school for more information on how to contribute.