Nor'easter Washed Away Brick Marching Band's Fundraiser: They Need Your Help

BRICK, NJ — The nor'easter that soaked the Jersey Shore and flooded roads and some businesses also washed away a host of events that weekend.

Among those events was MusicFest, a marching band competition hosted by the Brick Township High School Marching Band.

The outdoor competition, which draws high school marching bands to show off their skills both marching and musical, is the largest fundraiser the Marching Dragons hold each year.

The loss of the fundraiser has left a significant gap in the program's budget that covers transportation, instrument repairs, uniforms and student resources.

"If you have ever been to a local Friday night football game or attended a regional competition, you know the unmatched energy, pride, and music that the Brick Township Marching Band brings to our town," Giovanni Mistretta, part of the band's parent support organization, Marching Dragon Caravan Inc., wrote on a GoFundMe launched for the band.

"These kids are some of the hardest-working students you can find," he wrote. "They spend countless hours under the summer sun and late into autumn evenings practicing, sweating, and perfecting their shows."

The GoFundMe aims to raise the funds they would have earned through MusicFest so the students can "complete their competitive season without financial stress," he wrote.

The Marching Dragons Caravan is a 501(c)(3) so the donations are fully tax-deductible to the farthest extent of the law, Mistretta said, and the donations go straight to student transportation, safety equipment, instrument upkeep, "and ensuring these kids can complete their competitive season."

"Our students never give up when rehearsals get tough, and we refuse to let a storm derail their hard work," he wrote.

Those who wish to donation can do so here: Help Brick Twp Marching Band Recover After the Nor'easter!