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Ethan Zander loves the band program at McHenry High School, so much so that he plays three instruments – clarinet, saxophone and the trumpet – in six different bands and ensembles for his school.
He also knows that not everyone can afford to learn three instruments, or own a $3,000 instrument versus renting one from the school district. So when he needed a project to earn his Eagle Scout badge, Ethan looked for a way to help.
His project is the MCHS Band on the Run, set to raise awareness “for students who need financial assistance to participate in band.” It is set to start, rain or shine, at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 9, at the Upper Campus, 4724 W. Crystal Lake Road.
Funds raised during the awareness event will help purchase one-on-one lessons, repair instruments and support other student needs in band, Ethan Zander said.
“Each entry pays for a lesson, or goes to the discretionary fund to pay for rentals and repairs,” Ethan said said of the $35-per-person fee to participate.
Ethan’s first clarinet was a few thousand dollars to purchase, and a wooden clarinet has a market value in five figures. The school has a few high-end instruments that “some of the top players get to use,” said his mom, Karla Zander. But students who want to play an instrument often have to pick which one based on what is available from the school.
“They cannot afford it otherwise. Part of the campaign is to help those kids,” she said.
By making Band on the Run an awareness campaign, Ethan said he hopes it will continue beyond his years in high school “so the band program can continue to thrive for a long time.”
Ryan Cabildo is the director of bands for McHenry Community High School District 156. There are about 80 students in the program now – a number that is still recovering from the COVID-19 years when students were not signing up to learn a instrument.
“The Zanders took the lead and made it all happen,” Cabildo said.
District 156 is supportive of the arts, he said. “The district does a really great job supporting us with the things they can.”
But competitor programs in other districts can offer one-on-one classes to take students to the next level that District 156 does not, Cabildo said. He hopes the awareness event will help them find ways to fund similar tutoring and scholarships.
The run/walk itself is a 5K event with three laps, so participants can do as much of the course as they are comfortable with.
Ethan plans to continue studying music, adding that he currently plays in the wind and jazz ensembles, the jazz and symphonic bands, marching band and pep band. As a member of the McHenry County Honor Band, he travels with other students to play together once a year.
“I have always loved the band program at McHenry High school – it has been a really fun experience for the last two years,“ Ethan said.
To preregister, go to the Band on the Run website, zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/mchs-band-on-the-run-5k. More information can also be found at mchsbandontherun5k.com.