Hello Illinois Marching Online users!!

For those of you that do not know me, my name is Dan Balash, and I am the new owner of Illinois Marching Online.  I come to you today with an issue that is near and dear to my heart-the future of Bands of America.

For those of you that have not heard, Bands of America is in danger of folding if they do not receive 250,000 by the end of Fiscal Year 2008.  They have raised a little more than $227,000 in two short months, but they need an additional $23,000 by TOMORROW, February 28th, 2009.

This is where you come in.  Bands of America sent out a final email today to all of their users asking that if 10% of the users each sent in $5 dollars by tomorrow, they would meet their goal, and Bands of America would survive.  I am asking you, if you are a current or former participant in BOA events, to please consider donating.  Every little bit helps!!

To donate, go to the BOA Alumni page located at http://bands.org/alumni/.

Directors/band boosters: There is something in it for you as well.  BOA has a fundraiser called PULLANTHROPY.  What this is is explained by the following: Each PULLANTHROPY card has 50 MFA logos with a dollar amount from $1-$5 hidden under each tab, that dollar amount being the donation your donor contributes, totalling $200 in value per card. Donors pull a tab and donate that amount to your group. In return, the donor is given a page of coupons (50 padded in each book, I for each pull) as a thank you for their contribution.

Go here for an explanation of PUllANTHROPY: http://www.musicforall.org/getinvolved/pullanthropy/

I want to thank from the bottom of my heart all those that have donated thus far.  Thank you for keeping the dream alive.  It means so much to Bands of America, as they strive to provide life-changing experiences for thousands of students a year.  If you have not donated yet, please consider doing so.

One more time, the link to donate is:  http://www.bands.org/alumni.

Thank you for your time and consideration.
Dan Balash
balash@ilmarching.com