Welcome to the 2024-2025 River Valley Winter Arts Season!
Volunteering
Volunteer opportunities will be available consistently throughout the season. Some areas will be uniform fittings, volunteering to be on a committee for the board to help with props, transportation, or other items that will come up. Keep an eye on the Band App for information on upcoming opportunities to volunteer. With enough volunteers, we can share the load and get great things accomplished.
We are actively looking for people to support the different areas of the board through help on committees. If you are looking for additional ways to help, please reach out and we can see if there is a committee that would be a good fit for your skills and talents. https://www.728cadets.org/page/join-a-committee
You will be asked to help with many events throughout the season and we need all hands on deck to make these events successful. Your involvement is extremely important to the success of each event and we highly encourage everyone to volunteer as often as you are able. We will be asking for volunteers to help at events, competitions, our home shows as well as other events that are scheduled throughout the season.
Fundraising
The 728 Cadets Marching Arts program is a non-profit non-district sponsored program for all 7th-12th grade students within the 728 district. Community events and fundraising are extremely important as they directly impact our kids and the program. The 728 Cadets is not a school funded activity so to help keep our tuition costs low, we need to fundraise.
The home show is our largest yearly fundraising event where we need a lot of volunteers to be successful. The home show averages about $10,000/year in profit. This year we have the opportunity to partner with Wizards of Winter, and if our show is successful, they are interested in having it as a yearly event. If we are able to sell out the Rogers Performing Arts Center, the 728 Cadets will make approximately $40,000 on this one event. Having large dollar, reliable sources of income outside of tuition will be key to keeping this organization going and keeping tuition low.
The 728 Cadets have a lot of fundraising opportunities and can be overwhelming. It is not expected that you participate in every fundraising event, however; we encourage you to help us by promoting these events by having conversations with your friends, families, neighbors, employers as well as sharing on your social media platforms.
Practices
All practices will be held indoors. Tennis shoes and socks should be worn at all rehearsals. Because practices invoice intricate maneuvers, no sandals, flip-flops, etc. will be allowed. No one will be allowed to practice barefoot.
Wear comfortable clothes to be able to move around comfortably. Dressing in layers may be helpful as the practice spaces may be cooler but you will warm up once rehearsals begin.
Eat a healthy meal before coming to practice. Always eat a well-balanced meal consisting of carbs, protein and enough calories to get you through practice. It is always a good idea to pack a healthy snack.
It is a good idea to begin each day well-hydrated. Drink plenty of water before rehearsals as well as during rehearsals. Students are encouraged to bring a water bottle with them to each practice to also stay hydrated during practices.
Competitions
An itinerary will be posted in the Band App during the week before the competition. Though the specifics are not known very far in advance, a good rule of thumb is to block off the whole day for the event.
The itinerary will include all the details of the competition including departure, email, warm-up, competition times, etc. Students will travel to most competitions on buses.
All students are expected to ride the bus both to and home from the competition unless written permission from a parent is received by the director. If other arrangements are necessary, they must be made with the directors ahead of time.
Parents, family and friends are encouraged to attend any or all of the competitions.
- The competitions are a fundraiser for the sponsoring band. They will charge an admission fee.
- Competitions will have concession stands and possibly other items for purchase.
- Be positive and polite. Always be positive about other bands, schools and performances. You never know who is sitting around you.
- Cheer enthusiastically when your group performs. They’ve worked hard to put on the show - let them know you appreciate their hard work!
- Parent help is always needed the day of competitions! If you can volunteer, the groups can always use the help.
- Invest in a blanket to sit on. You’ll be glad you did the next morning.
- Practice patience. On competition days, there is a lot of waiting and then rush-to-get-things-done.
All three groups participate in WGI (Winter Guard International) which is a world wide organization that serves as the governing body for the indoor color guard, percussion, and winds activities. The three groups participate in at least one WGI event each year, and this year we will be competing in the WGI world competition in Dayton OH.
MPA (Minnesota Percussion Association) is the local governing body for percussion and winds. Groups from all over the midwest come to compete. The majority of the competitions we compete in are MPA hosted and there is a large MPA finals competition at the end of the year.
NSC (North Star Circuit) is the local governing body for the winter guard. Groups from all over the midwest come to compete and their finals will be held April 1st.
Each of these organizations have rules to participate and are judged. There are multiple classes, such as Scholastic A or Independent. Most of the groups consist of middle school to high schoolers, but there are a few groups that have college students and adults. Directors meet with the judges after each show to receive feedback, which the Directors bring back to the students to make modifications to the program. It is very fun to see how much the show changes and improves from the first show to the last.
Home Show
The 728 Cadets will be hosting a NSC show starting at 1pm on Saturday March 22nd at Elk River High School and we will be hosting an MPA show that same day at the same location later in the evening, usually around 6pm. This event is referred to as the home show.
The home show requires a lot of volunteers, including but not limited to, ticket taking, concessions, warm up room assistants, parking lot attendants etc. We really depend on every family to have someone volunteer at the home show. Not only does the home show showcase our students and community, but it is one of our largest fundraisers for the three groups.
If you volunteer for the home show, you will receive free admission into the show and we will ensure that you are able to see your student perform.
WGI Worlds - Dayton OH
The WGI World championships is the “Superbowl” for the Guard, Percussion Theater and Winds groups. Due to the large number of groups that participate in WGI worlds, the world championships are held in multiple venues in Dayton over many days. Worlds start with the Guard groups April 3-5, followed by the Percussion groups April 10th-12th and ending with the Winds group April 12-13. As a result each of our groups will be traveling to Dayton separately and will not have the opportunity to see eachother perform.
Parents and family are welcome to make the trip to Dayton OH to watch the performances, however; WGI Worlds will be streamed live via FloMarching https://www.flomarching.com/ . Schedules are published ahead of time so you know when the Cadets will be playing, but pay attention to the times as they are in Eastern time.
We will be holding parent meetings to provide you more detailed information about the trips including itineraries at the end of March.
Band Calendar
Each group has their own calendars with the seasons scheduled practices, performances and any other items that are scheduled.
Professional Photos
Every student will also take a professional photograph in uniform as well as a large group photo of their group. The photographer will open a store to purchase photos once the photos are ready for purchasing.
Merchandise
Each season, there is an “official” show shirt that represents the themes of each of the groups. These shirts, as well as several other logo’d items, will be available for purchase. The show shirts will be provided to each performer as part of their uniforms.
Information about the merch store will be posted on the Band App including the link to get into the store. Typically stores are open for a few days only.
Our first merch store will be opening in 2-3 weeks. This will allow items to be delivered in time for the holidays.
If you have friends or family members who are interested in merch, the link for the store will also be shared on our Website as well as social media for you to share. Stores are not just for participants and their families.
Exciting News From Fundraising
Happy Thanksgiving Cadets and Families! We hope this newsletter finds you well, as we’re gearing up for the winter season, and have much to be grateful for. We’re excited to share some highlights of our fantastic fall "off-season." This past season was filled with fun activities, community involvement, volunteer work, and teamwork! Thanks to the generous sponsorship of two family-operated Zimmerman-based businesses, Covered Wagon Orchard and Award Drains and Plumbing!
Apple Cider Making
Initially, the Fundraising Lead, Tiffany, and her son, Asher Kraabel, approached the owners about selling their apples at a discount. In response, Tammie and Shanon (Owners of the Covered Wagon Orchard) offered a partnership to sell their apple cider as a fun event for our Cadets and the general public to enjoy! They provided their orchard, equipment, labor, and 50% of all proceeds. Together, we generated a $456 profit from this event. More importantly, it was a lot of fun, everyone learned something new about making cider, and we met new friends. Also, several people attested to how delicious their apple cider was to serve at home throughout the fall!
Haunted Maze
Additionally, Award Drains and Plumbing, Andrea and Drew Ward (Owners and daughter and son-in-law to the owners of the Orchard) sponsored the Haunted Maze to have 100% of proceeds go to the 728 Cadets, which generated $2,500 in sales! Their families and volunteers from the 728 Cadets donated their time to create the maze and props, set up, work the events, and tear down/clean up afterward. The owners advertised the haunted maze through social media and volunteers Victoria and Alfredo Cruz (Parent Volunteers of the 728 Cadets) created signs for further exposure. They also donated their resources- such as the orchard property, electricity, and gas- and purchased props and landscaping fabric for the maze walls.
The community, customers, alumni, and volunteers were thrilled with the event. Several customers thanked us for hosting and expressed hope for the haunted maze next fall. It was a great success, and we hope to make it an annual event! Lastly, these community and team-building initiatives can be discussed in grant applications and be included in our fiscal report for this year’s $10,000 grant from the Central MN Arts Board (CMAB).
Volunteer Testimonials
"It was fun to be part of such a unique event in the Zimmerman community, and to have had the success we did the first year! The students who volunteered did a phenomenal job and everyone had a great time raising money for the Cadets. I'm excited to see how the event and our partnership can grow in years to come," Bri Mielke (Parent Volunteer, Gryffin and Bennett Volunteer Scare Masters).
"It was a very fun experience and I think that it will be a fun tradition to do every year and I look forward to it,” Lola Smith (ZMHS Trim-M Student Volunteer/Scare Master).
"Being a scare actor for the haunted maze was the most fun I've had in forever. Plus, it will benefit me with my acting in this season's show, as being a scarer helped me understand that I needed to lose my shame to be successful in embodying my character.
When asking for volunteers, I had people entirely uninvolved in the arts express interest in scaring for next year- I found that level of community engagement to be awesome. I'm looking forward to the growth of this event,” Asher Kraabel
We are grateful for the support of our sponsors, the involvement of our 728 Cadets lead volunteers, and student scare master volunteers from the Cadets, ZMHS’s Tri-M and Drama Club! Your contributions have made this fall season memorable and something to be proud of! We couldn't have done it without all of you, thank you!
Save The Date
Maynard's Dine In Night
On Monday, December 16th please show your support for the 728 Cadets Marching Band by eating dinner at Maynard's from 4pm-close. Invite your friends, family, neighbors, etc and share the event on your social media to encourage others to support us!
Make sure to mention you are there to support the 728 Cadets, and Maynards will graciously donate 30% of your tab to the 728 Cadets Marching Band.
As many of you know, we’re a non-profit non-district sponsored program for all 7th-12th grade students within the 728 district. Community events and fundraising like this directly impacts our kids and the program, so please help us with promoting this event and also, come out for dinner to show your support.
We look forward to seeing you there, and we thank you in advance for supporting the 728 Cadets!
Sincerely,
Tiffany AKA Asher’s Mom
Fundraising & Grant Lead
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