Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties

Rotary makes contribution to music program

By JAN TUCKER

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Ontonagon - The music program at the Ontonagon Area School District received a financial boost Wednesday with the presentation of the funds from the Ontonagon-White Pine Rotary Labor Festival Log Scramble program.

Rotary President Jan Wolfe presented band director Ben Mayer with a check for $768 which will be used for music instrument replacement and repair.

Mayer told members of the Rotary the band program now has 120 kids, the largest since he became director 13 years ago.

"We are maxed out in the number of instruments for kids and this really helps," Mayer said.

Mayer directs sixth grade, junior high and senior high bands. As an elective, he also has a guitar class with about 20 teens. He said the public would be surprised at how many students in the school play the guitar.

"About 50 percent of the members of the football team own and play guitars," he said.

In addition to being the district band director, Mayer is also the varsity football coach and teaches world history.

The band was also helped financially by marching in the Labor Festival Parade. Mayor said that money is used to purchase music which can range from $16 to as much as $100.

"Music is so important for young people," Wolfe commented, and urged the public to support similar musical projects in both the Ontonagon and Ewen-Trout Creek schools.

She added the Ontonagon White Pine Rotary is pleased to be able to help young people and pointed to other Rotary projects, such as skates for the recreation skating rink, the hockey program, backpacks with food for the Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District project, children's books for the St. Nicholas Project and other similar efforts.