By Caroline Emenaker | Managing Editor

---

In June of next year the Avon Orchestra is taking its annual trip, but this year they are going to Europe. Traveling to Italy, Austria and many other places the orchestra will play a variety of classical pieces for the people in the cities they visit.

The Avon Marching Band will also be traveling this year to Ohio and Texas on a tour commemorating the retirement of band director Jay Webb. Like the orchestra trip, the cost of the marching band trip will likely be in the thousands.

To help raise money for these trips the two groups came together in an event called the Rockathon. Sitting in anything from rocking chairs, beanbags or even tents, the musicians camped out in the band room for 12 hours last Friday night and raised money for their trips. Parents, family members and friends donated money to their students that went towards the cost of their respective trip.

During the event you could see students sitting all over the band room watching a movie playing on the projector, eating pizza and dancing to the music playing on the speakers. Junior Jenna Bradford said that she enjoyed the Rockathon because it was a good way to socialize and make new friends.

“The best part was when all of my friends were sitting in a circle at three or four a.m. and we were all very loopy and having a great time talking and laughing,” Bradford said. “I made friendships with some and strengthened my existing relationships with others.”

The orchestra and marching band have both done fundraisers throughout the past year for their trips, but the Rockathon is different than the others. Most fundraisers give about half of the money earned, but the Rockathon gave everything earned minus twenty dollars for food and shirts. Senior Ryan Larson said that this is a good way to raise money for the trip.

“You get nearly one hundred percent of what you raise, instead of less than fifty percent, which is what you normally get for a fundraiser,” Larson said.

In the future the orchestra and band will have fundraisers for fees, trips and other events but many of the participants of the Rockathon hope to do it again in the future.

“I really think they should do it again, it was a very fun way to raise money and it was a good way to bond with people,” said Bradford.