Ireland 2024 – SHHS Topper Band

The Science Hill Marching Band to Dublin, Ireland

March 10-18, 2024!

Topper Band Ireland Donation Page

A trip of a lifetime! – Dr. Carson Vermillion – Director of Bands

What an honor it is for the Hilltopper Marching Band to be selected to march in the 2024 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland. For many of our students, this may be the only chance they have to travel to a foreign land and experience the culture and history of that country. The Science Hill Band has for over 80 years represented our school and community through local, state, and national performances in front of millions of people. This will be the band’s first opportunity to travel to a European country and is asking for our community to support our students in this life changing endeavor. Please consider donating to this fabulous opportunity for the band students of Science Hill High School. Go Toppers!

Why do we need your support? – Jennie Fowler – Band Booster President

The Science Hill High School Band has been awarded the honor of marching in the 2024 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland. The parade is an amazing life experience for the kids who worked very hard to be considered as one of only 12 bands chosen from around the world to be asked to march during this event.

While our students were ecstatic to learn that they had been chosen, we quickly realized the arduous task ahead of us. The cost for this trip is $3,400 per student and we have 150 members. This price may affect students that cannot afford the total cost of the travel expenses, so we are asking our community to pull together to help make this offer a reality for every child. Our goal over the next year is to raise $200,000 to sponsor and support all children in this program, no matter their financial situation, to be able to represent our school and our community on this world stage. If we can achieve this goal, every single student may have the opportunity to participate in a once in a lifetime experience and show the world who Johnson City is.

The cost of this trip is a financial burden on many families, especially as families are getting back on their feet after the pandemic. However, with your support, we can provide the opportunity for all students in the Science Hill High School Marching Band to march in Ireland for our school and community.

How your donations will benefit our students, school and community:

This amazing trip would also provide an opportunity for our students to experience and be immersed into another country’s culture and way of life when they travel to Ireland. Many of these students may never have an opportunity to travel far beyond our area. Travel offers our children real-world experiences and even applications to some subjects they have been learning in school. Travel opens our children’s eyes to novel windows of the world. They are exposed to varied languages, culture and how people across the globe live. They learn about new languages, history, people, cuisines, and cultures. Travel can also provide an improvement in our children’s grades: a study conducted by Georgia University has revealed students who returned from a trip abroad showed improved grades as far as academics are concerned. Our community would benefit from the growth in our students because of this trip.

How we plan to raise the money to help pay for the trip:

We will be collecting donations throughout the year at any time. We will also be hosting four or more fundraisers throughout the year including a fruit sale, a community garage sale, a raffle, and golf tournament. . Additionally, we are reaching out to local businesses and foundations with a tiered sponsorship program. We have some fun opportunities for sponsors, including offering a private concert at the top level of sponsorship! We are willing to work with donors in any capacity, so please reach out if you are interested in donating.

How to donate:

Donations can be made in 2 ways. You can either donate online via PayPal with link below:

Topper Band Ireland Donation Page

Or you can send a check to:

Science Hill Band Boosters

Ireland Trip

P.O. Box 1462

Johnson City, TN 37605

Science Hill High School Band Boosters is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. All gifts are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Contributions are solicited with the understanding that SHHS Band Boosters has complete control over the use of all donated funds and all gifts designated for a specific project will be applied to that project with up to 10 percent used for administrative and fundraising expenses.

How do I benefit from donating?

There are multiple levels and opportunities to donate and ALL donations HELP!!!!

Supporter Level Sponsorship – $1 +

Social media recognition

Patron Level Sponsorship – $100 +

Your name or logo will be featured on the marching band sponsorship banner hung in the football stadium for both the 2023 and 2024 marching seasons.
Social media recognition

Bronze Level Sponsorship – $500 +

Individual Stadium Banner hung in football stadium during the 2023 and 2024 football seasons.
Your name or logo will be featured on the marching band sponsorship banner hung in the football stadium for both the 2023 and 2024 marching seasons.
Your name or logo will be included on the marching band sponsorship t-shirts worn by the band students for both the 2023 and 2024 marching seasons.
Social media recognition

Silver Level Sponsorship – $1000 +

Your name or logo on quarter sized ad on our equipment truck for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. It sits outside Science Hill High School and travels with the band to each event, so is seen both in and outside our area.
Individual Stadium Banner hung in football stadium during the 2023 and 2024 football seasons.
Your name or logo will be featured on the marching band sponsorship banner hung in the football stadium for both the 2023 and 2024 marching seasons.
Your name or logo will be included on the marching band sponsorship t-shirts worn by the band students for both the 2023 and 2024 marching seasons.
Social media recognition

Gold Level Sponsorship – $5000 +

Your name or logo on half sized ad on our equipment truck for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. It sits outside Science Hill High School and travels with the band to each event, so is seen both in and outside our area.
Shared Jumbotron advertisement during home football games for the 2023 and 2024 football seasons.
Individual Stadium Banner hung in football stadium during the 2023 and 2024 football seasons.
Your name or logo will be featured on the marching band sponsorship banner hung in the football stadium for both the 2023 and 2024 marching seasons.
Your name or logo will be included on the marching band sponsorship t-shirts worn by the band students for both the 2023 and 2024 marching seasons.
Social media recognition

Cardinal Level Sponsorship – $10,000 +

Your name or logo on full sized ad on our equipment truck for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. It sits outside Science Hill High School and travels with the band to each event, so is seen both in and outside our area.
A private Hilltopper Marching Band Pep Band performance, at an agreed upon date and location.
Shared Jumbotron advertisement during home football games for the 2023 and 2024 football seasons.
Individual Stadium Banner hung in football stadium during the 2023 and 2024 football seasons.
Your name or logo will be featured on the marching band sponsorship banner hung in the football stadium for both the 2023 and 2024 marching seasons.
Your name or logo will be featured on the marching band sponsorship t-shirts worn by the band students for both the 2023 and 2024 marching seasons.
Social media recognition

Topper Level Sponsorship – $50,000 +

The Science Hill High School Hilltopper Marching band will be introduced at every football game during the 2023 and 2024 football seasons as presented by your company name.
Your name or logo will be featured on our equipment truck for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. It sits outside Science Hill and travels with the band to the events and so is seen both in and outside our area.
A private performance by the Hilltopper Marching band, at an agreed upon date and location.
Featured Jumbotron advertisement during halftime of home football games for the 2023 and 2024 football seasons.
Individual Stadium Banner hung in football stadium during the 2023 and 2024 football seasons.
Your name or logo will be featured on the marching band sponsorship banner hung in the football stadium for both the 2023 and 2024 marching seasons.
Your name or logo will be featured on the marching band sponsorship t-shirts worn by the band students for both the 2023 and 2024 marching seasons.
Social media recognition

Why should I donate? How does being part of the band benefit the students?

In a time where many teenagers are staying inside and not getting much exercise, marching band members are not the norm. According to 360Orthopedics, https://www.360-orthopedics.com/blog/marching-band-is-a-sport, marching band is a sport that should be considered on a par with a football player. They are marching sometimes several miles in a performance, forward, backward, sideways. all while doing dance type steps and carrying an instrument that can weigh up to 35 pounds. They practice usually 8-12 hours a day in the weeks before school and numerous hours every week during their competition season in the fall. This will set these kids up to be more physical as they age.
The College Entrance Examination Board found that students involved in public school music programs scored 107 points higher on the SAT’s than students with no participation.
Secondary students who participated in band or orchestra reported the lowest lifetime and current use of all substances (alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs).
– Texas Commission on Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Houston Chronicle, January 11, 1998
Why Music Education Matters, quoted in the Phoenix Symphony, February 6, 2017
Schools with music programs have an estimated 90.2% graduation rate and 93.9% attendance rate compared to schools without music education, which average 72.9% graduation and 84.9% attendance. The National Association for Music Education.