Pride Of Broken Arrow Raising Funds For Rose Parade

The Pride of Broken Arrow has set its sights on California. The high school marching band got an invitation to march in the famed Rose Parade in Pasadena. 

But with 300 band members, the trip won't be cheap.

On Sunday, they held a fundraising effort at Battle Creek Golf Course.  Golfers were helping to chip away at a $300,000 fundraising goal for the Pride of Broken Arrow.

Rodney Watson helped organize the first annual Pride of Broken Arrow Open. It's one of many fundraisers to help get The Pride to Pasadena for the Rose Parade next January.

"We've got five states represented; we've got people from all over Oklahoma," said Rodney Watson, chairman of the Pride of Broken Arrow Open.

Band Director Darrin Davis says The Pride got a direct invitation to play in the parade after winning the 2015 Grand National Championship.

1/7/2016 Related Story: Pride Of Broken Arrow To March In 2017 Tournament Of Roses Parade

"It's a 5-mile parade with over a million spectators in person there in California and a worldwide audience of over 30 million people," said Darrin Davis, band director.

"They worked very hard, and this is their reward."

But their reward costs money. For all 300 band members to go to California, then stay for a week - it's going to cost well over $600,000.
                
"We want to help get every kid there," the band director said.

The fairways were full as golfers on the greens helped them do that.  There were 25 teams and 100 golfers.  At $100 dollars a person, there's $10,000.

"The Pride has tremendous support from the parents and the community, it's just been fantastic," said Rodney Watson, Pride of Broken Arrow.

The open will bring in even more money through raffle ticket sales and a silent auction.  The tournament winners take home a trophy.

But the winners in the end will be the members of the Broken Arrow marching band.

"The performances will definitely be lifelong memories, but the experiences along the way of getting to do a parade in Disneyland and to see the Pacific Ocean - and to get paparazzi on Hollywood Boulevard right there where the stars do their parties. Things like that are experiences kids will remember the rest of their lives," said Darrin Davis; Broken Arrow band director.

The Pride of Broken Arrow will be holding many more fundraisers in the coming months.  Here's a link to their Facebook page to learn more.