As the 2018-19 school year gets closer, the Hillsborough Band Parents Association is gearing up for another season of music education and competition with an unorthodox fundraising effort they hope the community will get out of bed for.
For the first time ever, the Commons at Hillsborough High School will be transformed into a mattress showroom, complete with more than 20 beds of all kinds with proceeds going to the school’s music program.
The fundraiser will take place on Saturday, Sept. 15 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“Mattresses are something that absolutely everybody buys on a periodic basis, so the concept is a little unusual, but it works,” Hillsborough Band Parents Association President Randy Hart said. “One in 10 people buy a mattress every single year.”
Run by Custom Fundraising Solutions, a national organization that helps fund similar programs throughout the country, Hart said the fundraising opportunity came about when a “veteran parent” shared a similar effort from another school district in the state.
Given the fact that the HBPA doesn’t generally begin raising funds until October with its annual home show, Hart said the start of the school year seemed like a good time to get started.
“This was just an opportunity that presented itself and we thought it was certainly worth a try to see where we can go with this,” she said. “It’s been known to be very successful in other school districts, so we were inspired to do the same.”
The fundraiser’s owner and founder, Joe Matejka, said the reason why mattress fundraisers are seen as a viable option for schools stems largely from the kids involved in the programs that benefit.
“We offer the community a quality product they need, at a great price and the best part is that every sale benefits the school,” he said. “Our one-day sale can help a group raise thousands of dollars. That is why we are in this business…to help the kids.”
According to Custom Fundraising Solutions, the company has raised more than $18 million for schools throughout the nation. Matejka said the company hopes to expand to over 100 locations and donate $10 million on an annual basis.
All funds generated by the HBPA over the course of a year go toward funding curricular and extra-curricular bands, like jazz band and marching band. Though the district pays for a large portion of its music program, Hart said the parents’ group helps cover the difference, funding things like instrument repairs, costs for music clinics, festival entry fees, band trips and licensing for music.
For more information about the Hillsborough High School Band Program Mattress Fundraiser, contact Dave Cox at [email protected] or call 215-913-8762. Interested parties can also text “HHS” to 797979.