Raritan Marching Band To Host Car Show Fundraiser This Month

HAZLET, NJ - Calling all Bayshore car enthusiasts, foodies and live music lovers alike: the Raritan High School Marching Band is set to host a fun-filled event this month featuring food trucks, bands and great cars.

On May 16 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., families can enjoy the festivities alongside raffles and sneak peaks at patrol cars and EMS vehicles courtesy of Hazlet Township Police Department and Hazlet First Aid Squad.

A rain date is set for May 23. The event is free to the public and is funded by sponsorships, vendor spaces and car registrations. All proceeds will go to the RHS Marching Band budget, which consists of funding for PPE, equipment, transportation, fees and related expenses.

For those interested in registering their cars, vehicles are $20 in advance or $25 day-of. The first 100 cars to register will receive a free dash plaque.

For RHS Band Parent Booster Association President John Powers, the first annual car show is the result of the band’s resilience to fundraise and ability to get creative amid restrictions surrounding traditional fundraising events.

“We’ve hosted Applebee’s fundraisers, golf outings, bingo events - but during COVID, we had a number of challenges. One was acutely an issue of, ‘can we even ask people for money during the times that are so tough? So we changed our mindset,” Powers told Patch. “People were looking for stuff to celebrate last year. We're still in that same mode we're looking for things to celebrate ... In a year where our fundraising efforts are so far off the mark, this is a way for us to try to, you know, sort of bridge the gap between what we've done in years past and, and what we need to be effectively competitive in the years ahead.”

Sign up your vehicle at raritanhighmb.wixsite.com/raritanhighmb/fundraising or contact rhsmusicdepartmentparents@gmail.com for more information. RSVP on Facebook here.