Open Board Position
The board has an open position available for the Equipment and Props position. Anyone interested in volunteering for this position, please reach out to Lori Motzko at Lori.Motzko@gmail.com to be considered for the position. Below is a link to provide additional details for what the position will encompass.
Equipment and Props Position Description
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What’s Coming Up?
This season is flying by and the groups are really going to be moving and shaking soon with competition season starting in just a few weeks.
If you haven’t had the chance to review the calendars to see what is coming up, here are the links to see what each group has scheduled.
Also, the summer 728 Cadets schedule is live as well. Parades are starting to be added for families to review for summer family planning. Please keep in mind that these items are still tentative until later this spring when the schedule is firmed up.
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Competitions
An itinerary will be posted in the Band App the week before the competitions. 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 bleacher seat or 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 worldwide 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.
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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.
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River Valley Class of 2025!
Seniors, please take 5 minutes to complete and submit a google form for your Senior Bio along with a photo of yourself.
This information will be used in the home show program as well as having spot light postings done within the newsletter as well as on our social media platforms.
A formal deadline will be provided as we get closer to the home show but getting it done now gives us more time to share your bios elsewhere.
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WGI - April 2025
Here is a visual of all of the events the three groups will be participating in where parents will want to purchase event tickets if you plan to attend the events as well. When you go to the WGI page to purchase your tickets, all of the events are listed for all three groups and all of the days so you will want to make sure to pay close attention to the events to ensure you have the correct ones selected.
Accommodations
We have 9 rooms blocked for each group under the name of Sarah Ahrens and/or 728 Cadets. Below are the details for each group. If you are interested in booking one of the blocked rooms, you can call the hotel directly to do so. The hotel's information is listed below.
Last day to book is 1/31/25. These rooms are a first come first serve availability.
Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Dayton/Riverside OH
4500 Linden Ave
Dayton, OH 45432
937-252-9700
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Merchandise - Show Shirts
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.
Our Show Shirt Store will be opening in the next few days. Keep a watch out for a special post to each of the Bands for more details!
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New Fundraising Opportunity
We have partnered up with the Buffalo Wild Wings Home Team Advantage fundraiser for another quarter! This quarter will be active from now through March 31, 2025.
Head to the Elk River Buffalo Wild Wings and let them know you want to support Team N and they will donate 10% of your bill to our amazing program! This includes all food and beverage items.
Support ‘Team N”
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Continuous Fundraising Opportunities
In addition to our special events that are held, we also have fundraisers that are always open throughout the year. There are no deadlines for these fundraisers.
RaiseRight
RaiseRight is a simple way to raise funds on items and services you were going to purchase anyway!
For example: groceries, gas, home improvement items, gift cards for special occasions, etc! It adds up super fast, and today is a "bonus day" for certain retailers.
Please use the below enrollment link to enroll your account to ensure the 728 Cadets Marching Band receives credit! In the application field titled “Who are you fundraising for,” please enter your student’s name.
Tip: Download the RaiseRight app for easy access to purchasing the e-gifts to the retailer you’re purchasing from. Once purchased, it will be available in your RaiseRight app’s “wallet.” You can add your bank account right into the platform for the fastest way to receive e-gift cards at only a 29 cent convenience fee. You can also use a debit card for a 1% convenience fee.
Give Freely
GiveFreely is an extension for laptops or an app for phones that donates a percent of your purchases at eligible stores! All you need to do is create an account (a very, very simple process) and select the 728 Cadets as your chosen nonprofit to donate to. By searching for ‘728 Cadets Corp’, the organization gets $10!! Set it and forget it!
When making online purchases with partners of GiveFreely, the icon will automatically pop up. To enable the donation (at no charge to you), select the icon when completing your purchase.
There is an App available for Apple users.
Sneakers4Good
We've teamed up with Sneakers4Good for an athletic shoe drive through the end of January to help raise funds for our organization, which some of you know is a stand-alone, 501(c) (3) nonprofit. Plus, as an impact broader than ourselves, the shoe drive helps the environment and communities in need.
Did you know the EPA estimates that 600 million pairs of shoes go into our landfills every year? 100% of them can be recycled or reused.
Here’s how you can help: Start in your family’s closets and gather as many unwanted running shoes and sneakers as you'd like (preferably gently to moderately used); maybe the owner out-grew them, they're worn down, out of style, etc. Ask your neighbors, friends, family, and co-workers! Every pair counts, and our target is to collect 200 pairs- which is 2 pairs per person.
Collections will be at each groups rehearsal (preferably before or after rehearsal). Please find the black 728 Cadets trailer, RVS red trailer, or guard's trailer. There will be a large Sneakers4Good collection box to drop them off in!
You can also find Tiffany Gruidl (Fundraising Committee Chair at RVS rehearsals), Jen Tostenrud (Event Planning at RVPT & RVWG rehearsals), Asher Kraabel (hornline), or another board member, to hand your shoes to.
For additional information or to get more involved check out https://sneakers4good.com/ or contact Tiffany Gruidl directly at 763-291-2804
As always, please feel free to reach out directly should you have any questions by emailing 728cadetsmarchingband@gmail.com.
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