The “Mighty Raider Band” in Lumberton, Texas has a lot of great stories. They
recently came back from competition with "Sweepstakes", and another with "Best in Overall Music", adding trophies and smiles. Then, on October 21st, it was announced that 75 thousand dollars was missing from the band's boosters account.

The "Mighty Raider" Band Boosters
The "Mighty Raider" Band Boosters
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Seventy five thousand dollars. When I heard the news, I had to let that sink in a little. That’s a lotta chocolate bars, savings cards, and car washes. School district funds help, but the Booster Clubs and their fundraisers make bands, choirs, drill teams, and so many other organizations thrive.

It sounded like more of a movie of the week story line, not something that could happen right here, but it did.The police are involved, have a person of interest, and I’m sure you’re going to hear much more about that. It’s not something likely to be restored in the time it would be in a movie.

In the meantime, what about the band? There are marching and other fees due now. What are they going to do? Not sit around and worry about it. Not the Mighty Raider Band and their parents. After the shock wore off and reality set in, so did the ideas of what to do.

The Village Creek Festival is this weekend, and local business owner Diane Martin, of The Hard Bean Café, donated a booth to the band. They are working out what all they are going to sell from their booth, and getting work schedules together.

Former Mighty Raider Band members who have now moved far away asked how they could donate, so a GoFundMe account is up and running

Local restaurant Schlotzky’s is donating 15% of their sales to the band on Monday, November 7th, from 5pm to 9pm.

Some of the parents got together and created this T-Shirt that they will be selling at the Village Creek Festival and at school.

The "Mighty Raider Band" Boosters
"Mighty Raider Band"  Boosters
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A bad thing happened, but it hasn’t slowed down this group. They are showing that they are indeed “Mighty”, even without their instruments in hand.

Just when I was about as impressed as I could be with the way the organization handled what had to be a difficult, at best, crisis, there was more news. Another band, from neighboring town Kountze, announced that they will also be having a fundraiser for the Lumberton Mighty Raider Band.

Kountze Band Boosters
Kountze Band Boosters
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Sheila, the Public Relations/Fundraiser Chair from the Kountze "King's Regiment" Booster Club, said, “We know personally how hard it is to raise funds. Our hearts were just broken over the news. This was the kids' money; they need that money. So, anything to help. Our kids have friends in the Lumberton Band. This is friends helping friends.”

What a great thing for these kids to do.

Kountze Band Boosters
Kountze Band Boosters
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When the news first broke, I wondered what the kids thought about this situation. Now I see that, just like the rest of us (maybe a little earlier than we’d like), they'll see firsthand that there are unfair knocks you don’t expect, but you have to get up, dust yourself off, and keep on going. And, if you are fortunate, you’ll have friends and neighbors to help you.

Not just the town of Lumberton, but the entire community is Banding together to assist “The Mighty Raider Band”.

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