Note from Mr. Senkmajer:I finally got our final information from the Parade Company at 7 p.m. this past Tuesday night when I attended this required orientation meeting in Detroit. It has taken a couple of days to sort through the information.This will be my 6th time participating as a band director, seventh time overall. The parade has undergone significant changes since I first participated as a high-school student in the fall of 1984.This is our earliest call time in all of the years I have done the parade. On the one hand, it means we will be back with our families sooner than previous years, but it also complicates some of the transportation issues.Please read the note from Mrs. Mehnert very carefully. She and many other band parents have worked so hard all season to help make this all happen. This parade is no exception.This is going to be a wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime experience for your kids. Thank you, in advance, for your help in making this a great day for them.E. Senkmajer
TICKETS:
We have purchased the Grandstand seating tickets for the parade. Originally we were in the $45 area. We found out that these were at parade step-off and not the best for viewing the parade. There were also not enough seats for the size of our group. We have upgraded the tickets to the $50 blue zone section that is located at Woodward and Montaclm. We are now all together as a group and also in an area to catch all of the parade at its finest. The band is willing to incorporate this cost, however if you would like to assist in covering the extra expense, it would be appreciated. Please just put $5 per ticket in an envelope marked upgrade. Thank you!
All bus and grandstand tickets will be picked up at a check in table near the cafeteria on Thursday before we leave. Bus riders and students are welcome to join us for a breakfast at 4:45am that morning.
BREAKFAST:
It will be an early morning and we want your student to have a full stomach and ready to march. We are providing a hot breakfast of pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage links, yogurt cups, juice and coffee. We are asking that each student send in $3 to help cover the cost. As mentioned before, fan bus riders are also welcome to eat with us. The $3 covers student and parent(s) that are riding the fan bus. Please note that breakfast will begin at 4:45am and we will be departing at 5:30am so don't be late!
We are still in need of some parent volunteers to help cook pancakes and help with set up. A few parents NOT traveling to the parade are also needed to help with the clean up after we load the buses and depart. If you are able to help out please speak to a band booster or sign up in Charms. Thank you!
PARADE DETAILS:
Something new for us this year- we are at the front of the parade! We will need to leave Northern at 5:30am. All student and fan buses will leave together. Our call time is 6:45am with parade step off at 8:45am. It is predicted that we will hit grandstand and TV zone close to 10:15am and finish the parade at 10:45am.
We are aware the parents with grandstand tickets will want to view the parade in its entirety. To make sure that students do not get back to school too long before their parental rides, we will be having student and fan buses leaving Detroit at two different times.
The logistics involved with moving this size group can be daunting, but every effort is being made to move efficiently and with as much communication as possible. Updates will be made on the PHNband.org web page and on Remind 101.
Thank you,
