{"id":6334,"date":"2026-07-18T13:04:14","date_gmt":"2026-07-18T13:04:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=6334"},"modified":"2026-07-18T13:04:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-18T13:04:14","slug":"fayetteville-high-school-marching-band-races-to-raise-100k-for-chance-to-perform-in-chicago","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=6334","title":{"rendered":"Fayetteville high school marching band races to raise $100K for chance to perform in Chicago"},"content":{"rendered":"
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FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WNCN) \u2014 The beat of the drums may be loud, but the message from E.E. Smith High School\u2019s Magnificent Marching Machine is simple: help us get to Chicago.<\/p>

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The nationally recognized Fayetteville high-stepping high school marching band has been invited to perform in the 2026 Chicago Thanksgiving Parade, giving more than 100 student musicians the opportunity to represent not only Fayetteville but also the entire state of North Carolina on one of the country\u2019s longest-running Thanksgiving Day parades.<\/p>\n

Now, the band is racing against the clock. With less than four months until the parade, the Magnificent Marching Machine is working to raise $100,000\u00a0to cover transportation, hotel stays, meals and other travel expenses for approximately 110 students\u00a0and staff.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a big deal,\u201d said band director Adam Sobers. \u201cWe\u2019re hoping to give them the opportunity to tour the Obama Presidential Center, which just opened. And just getting out of North Carolina. A lot of folks in our community don\u2019t get away until college.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sobers said transportation alone makes up nearly half of the fundraising goal.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of your expense usually comes from charter bus travel,\u201d he said. \u201cFor this trip, the charter buses are running us about $50,000 for three charter buses for four days. Then you add in the lodging, and you\u2019ve got to make sure the kids eat every day. Those things add up very quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Fayetteville's<\/figure>\n
Fayetteville\u2019s own E.E. Smith High School marching band is racing to put together funds for a chance to travel to Chicago to perform in the Thanksgiving Day Parade. (Justin Moore)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n

For many students, the trip would be more than a parade performance. It would be their first opportunity to travel outside North Carolina and experience a major city while showcasing the school\u2019s signature high-stepping show-style performance before a national audience.<\/p>\n

Sobers said the invitation is another milestone for a program that continues to build its reputation beyond Cumberland County.<\/p>

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\u201cWe are trying to add to the resume and elevate as we go from there,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

As the band prepares during summer band camp, students are already putting in long hours to build the endurance and precision needed for the performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cBand camp gets kids ready and prepared for the season as a whole,\u201d Sobers said. \u201cGetting those legs in shape for the marching style, looking clean and being able to do it without being too winded.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sobers said the trip is about much more than music.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe reason I became a band director is literally what I saw my high school band director do for so many kids,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m just trying to pay it forward and give back.\u201d<\/p>\n

His motivation, he says, has never changed.<\/p>

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\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tFayetteville marching band looking for help getting to Chicago parade\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<\/h3>\n\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n
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\u201cIt\u2019s all about the kids. It\u2019s all about the kids,\u201d Sobers said.<\/p>\n

The band is asking businesses, churches, community organizations and individual donors to help make the trip possible. Every donation will go toward lodging, meals, transportation and student activities.<\/p>\n

Anyone interested in supporting the Magnificent Marching Machine can donate to E.E. Smith High School Magnificent Marching Machine\u2019s Band Boosters\u2019 Cash App $eesmithmmm or email Adam Sobers at adamsobers@ccs.k12.nc.us.\u00a0<\/p>

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The nationally recognized Fayetteville high-stepping high school marching band has been invited to perform in the 2026 Chicago Thanksgiving Parade, giving more than 100 student musicians the opportunity to represent not only Fayetteville but also the entire state of North Carolina on one of the country\u2019s longest-running Thanksgiving Day parades.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6332,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6334","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nFayetteville high school marching band races to raise $100K for chance to perform in Chicago - Raleigh Moving News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=6334\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Fayetteville high school marching band races to raise $100K for chance to perform in Chicago - 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