HMK eNews > Band Camp Edition!

Greetings! As you've probably heard by now, HMK enjoyed an INCREDIBLE first week of camp! Whether it was learning marching technique, putting our pregame show on the field, adding competition show drill, or perfecting music, every member of HMK worked their hardest to achieve at an extraordinarily high level! At the pace we are moving, the group should be able to perform a great deal of material for this Thursday's Preview Knight!

If you haven't read Karen Hess' "Advertising' email, please do so. It contains essential information for every member family!

ADDITIONAL ITEMS:

> REHEARSAL CHANGE - Back to School Night

Because of Back to School Night at HHS on Thursday, September 8th, we will be moving our 6-9 ensemble rehearsal to Tuesday, September 6th. Thursday, September 8th will be sectional rehearsals (winds after school until 5:15, guard and percussion 6-9). Please mark your calendars!

> Preview Knight - Thursday!

We will finish rehearsal at 5:00 PM. Students will be dismissed to the band room where they will receive the 2011 Show Shirt!!!! From there, they will head down to the tailgate party, followed immediately by the Preview Knight festivities! Please invite your family and friends out to get the first look at our 2011 program!

> ONLINE FUND DRIVE

Please let your friends and relatives know about our Online Fund Drive at https://www.wepay.com/donate/hmk2011

A simple email, facebook message, or tweet letting folks know about our Fund Drive can raise serious funds for our group! Please take a few minutes to spread the word!

Here is a sample letter put together by our very own Amelia Mitrotz...

It is my pleasure to welcome you to Friends of HMK, a new group devoted to keeping friends and family of HMK members posted on the happenings of the Hempfield Marching Knights. Allow me to introduce myself: My name is Amelia Mitrotz, and I am thrilled to once again be serving as HMK's Head Drum Major for the 2011 season! Have you ever wondered what this Marching Band thing is all about? What exactly is it that we do? Well, look no further! Here's our program in a nutshell:

The Hempfield Marching Knights is a group comprised of Hempfield High School (and some middle school) students who have a drive to succeed, and love to perform. As a competitive marching band, we travel to local festivals and perform our field show for adjudication. We like to see how we stack up to other bands from our area, and tend to thrive in a competitive setting like this. You can also find us supporting our football team at all of their games, playing fan favorites in the stands. When we aren't performing, we are rehearsing. We rehearse....well.... a lot!!! By my count, we rehearsed somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 hours last year. That tends to be more than any other school extracurricular, including athletic teams. To really achieve an excellent marching show, we hold ourselves to high rehearsal standards. But we aren't all work; we also have several fun events throughout the year. That's where we really bond and have a great time! HMK is a huge family in itself, and now we're inviting you to be a part of it!

To get a firmer grasp on who we are, we created Friends of HMK to keep you in the loop. You can check it out throughout the season to stay in touch with us. Through this group, I will be giving periodic news posts, be inviting you all to critical events, and giving you a link to the new and exciting fundraiser that we have planned! The fundraiser goes a little something like this: you can now donate funding to our organization via an online method called WePay. Just follow the link below, and you will be transferred to the HMK page, where you can enter any amount that you would be willing to donate. It's completely safe and easy to make a donation. If you've enjoyed watching our perfomances, or seeing our members grow and shine, please make a donation! Every little bit helps!

https://www.wepay.com/donate/hmk2011

If for whatever reason you feel uncomfortable using our online service, you can also mail us a check made out to the Hempfield Marching Band Boosters and send it to

Hempfield High School

200 Stanley Ave

Lancaster, PA 17538

.....or just give it to a band member to bring into rehearsal with them and they'll give it straight to Mr. Gumble.

For a school whose budget has experienced its fair share of cutbacks due to the struggling economy, it is imperative that the band does its best to increase support for its efforts. Our mission with this group is to not only raise money, but to increase the community's awareness of this amazing program. So as our friends and comrades, we ask that you help us to spread the word about HMK. Add as many friends and family as you like to this group, or send them to Mr. Gumble's website ( http://mrgumble.hempfieldsd.org/concert-band/marching-band ) so they can get a feel for what HMK is truly about. If you have any questions about the program, or the fundraiser, please feel free to send me a facebook message! I'm looking forward to another fantastic season, and this opportunity to spread our wings!

Sincerely,

Amelia Mitrotz