The Seneca East Tiger marching band will be sporting a new look this fall when they take the football field.

The community has raised about $45,000 toward replacing the band’s 14-year old uniforms. 

The North Central People Fund joined the community effort by granting $4,200 to the Seneca East Band Boosters. The cooperative also contributed $500 toward the drive. 

The $4,200 will cover the cost of 10 uniforms.  All told, the boosters have ordered 110 sets of uniforms, including coats, bib pants, shako hats and plumes.  They also ordered 40 hat boxes and 40 garment bags for proper storage. The band is expected to be 92 members strong when football season opens. 

“Our uniforms are 14 years old,” Director Dana Willman said. “They’ve been well taken care of, but it’s time.”

Most of the money raised came from individual and business donations. About $11,000 came from individuals donating in memory of Willman’s late husband, Chris. Band members and the boosters raised money with spaghetti dinners and selling pizzas and bedding plants. 

“We are extremely grateful to the People Fund and the cooperative,” Willman said. “We are a rural community school and so many have the services from North Central Electric. We have a fund here that is such a great resource in our rural community.” 

Diane Stallings was proud that the band boosters’ was the first grant request she presented to the People Fund as a board member.

“The band is a source of pride in the community,” Stallings said. “Not only do they perform at athletic events, they perform at Memorial Day parades and Christmas parades, the Attica Fair. This is what the People Fund was established for ­— to give back to the community.”   

As a bonus, band members will look sharp in their new uniforms for their return to New York City to march in the Veterans Day parade. The band goes once every four years. 

In addition to the grant to the band boosters, Seneca East also received a grant for $2,480 to purchase iPads. 

Since its inception in 1998, the People Fund has awarded 387 grants totaling about $690,700. Individual and organizational grant applications must be submitted the final day of March, June, September and December. Individual grants are capped at $3,000 for members in need and $10,000 for organizations.