TED NUGENT Concert Raises More Than Money Enough To Help High School Band

Mike Anderson of the Waco Tribune-Herald reports that last weekend's benefit concert by rocker TED NUGENT raised enough money to send the Crawford High School band to perform in President Bush's inaugural parade and then some.

The Saturday night sold-out concert in the Crawford High School gym netted about $19,000, more than enough to cover the amount the 26-member band was short in funds to pay for hotels, meals and airfare to Washington, D.C., says Superintendent Kevin Noack.

The students are set to leave the school by charter bus at 2:30 p.m. today (Jan. 18) for a ride to Austin, where they will catch a flight to Washington, D.C., for Thursday's parade.

After learning last month that Crawford is the only Texas high school band invited to participate, students began raising funds for the trip, at one point holding a band concert and chili dinner. But as the event grew closer, the band remained about $10,000 short of its goal.

At that point Nugent, who moved to McLennan County from Michigan about a year ago, stepped in and offered his band to help raise the needed funds.

"It was fantastic," Noack said. "Ted Nugent put on a good show, and took the time to take pictures with each one of the students and sign his autograph."

Noack said the band is to perform while riding on a float along with Miss Texas and pro golfer Ben Crenshaw. As the band performs tunes including the state song "Texas, Our Texas", it will move along the parade route on a float decorated with longhorns and a large lone star.

Band director Paul Thronburg said the extra money raised by Nugent's concert will pay for new band uniforms and a new sound system in the gym.