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Cleveland High School Bands Play-a-Thon 2025
0% complete
$35,858 raised of $35K
334 donations
Visit our web page at https://www.clevelandbandspdx.com/ for updates and more info!
Welcome to the 2025 Fall Cleveland Bands Play-a-thon! This is our annual fundraiser to support the award winning Cleveland Band program. You are invited to see our groups perform live in the Cleveland HS auditorium. In addition, we will be streaming performances live on our YouTube link on Friday, October 3rd!
HOW CAN I SUPPORT THE CLEVELAND BAND PROGRAM?
1. Donate an amount meaningful to you. Any amount helps! If your employer matches donations to non-profits like ours, search for “Friends of Cleveland Bands” or the EIN 842037819 in your employer’s gift matching system.
2. To show support for your student, please place a comment in the live chat of the YouTube stream.
3. JOIN US on October 3rd! You can attend the concert live at the Cleveland HS Auditorium (the address is below) or you can join us online. Come back to this page or go to our website to get the link to the stream.
4. Sign up for the Friends of Cleveland Bands Newsletter to stay up to date with the band!
You may also donate by check to:
Friends of Cleveland Bands
c/o Cleveland High School
3400 SE 26th Ave
Portland OR 97202
Check donations will receive a letter from FOCB acknowledging the donation and serve as your tax receipt.
Our Play-a-thon will be taking place on Friday, October 3rd from 4pm - 9:15pm to raise money for the band program. This event is necessary to offset costs for many basic needs of running a program that we list below. Recently, our district has begun to support our program for PIL (local league) events, State Championship events, and our local Rose Festival parades. Every year, we are experiencing more support from the district and central office continues to commit to building this support in the implementation of the PPS Master Arts Education Plan. However, there are still many costs in running a strong program that need to be addressed in our current school year. This fundraiser helps offset these costs while additionally providing financial support for our students which are outlined below. The Play-a-thon is also a great way to build the band community.
Your donations support these basic needs of running a high school band program, including:
- Purchasing Sheet Music: it costs nearly $100 for one set of sheet music for a single title, $350 for a set of advanced music
- Entrance fees for competitions (outside of PIL events)
- Travel Costs (Buses & Subs for events outside of PIL)
- Pep Band T-Shirts and Hats for incoming freshman
Our program also is able to provide added support for our students to be sure that financial stresses do not disrupt a student’s ability to excel:
- Section Coaches
- Visiting Clinicians
- Student Registration Fees for All-State & Western International Band Clinic
- Students assistance funds for summer camps, spring trips, concert attire, accompanists, etc.
In the past this money has also been used to assist in major purchases:
- New uniforms for the marching band
- New Drumline equipment
- Upgrading and adding instruments: Tubas, ContraBass Clarinets, Eb Clarinet, Alto Flute, Flugelhorns, Marching Baritones, Special Concert Percussion
The typical band fee for a high school band is AT LEAST $100, usually much more. CHS Band Director Mr. Gary Riler and our parent booster group, Friends of Cleveland Bands, feel strongly that we should not charge a mandatory fee to participate in band. Instead we ask our community to support the program. We do not want to limit any students’ ability to participate due to financial hardship!
The Cleveland High School Band Program has begun a tradition of being a quality award-winning Band Program. Some recent accolades include:
(2020) Cleveland HS was honored by the National Federation of High Schools as the Performing Arts School of Excellence
(2020) Cleveland HS Wind Ensemble was invited to perform a Concert Hour at the Oregon Music Educators Association Conference in Eugene, Oregon.
(2022) The Cleveland HS Wind Ensemble placed 5th at the 2022 OSAA State Band Championships. This was a historic occasion, as no Portland Public School band program has placed in the top 5 at these championships since their inception in 1984. 12 students auditioned into Oregon All-State Groups. State Chamber Music Contest: 1st Place - Percussion Duet, 2nd Place - Saxophone Quartet, 3rd Place - Brass Quintet, 4th Place - Percussion Duet, 5th Place - Woodwind Quintet.
(2023) The Cleveland HS Wind Ensemble placed 5th at the 2023 OSAA State Band Championships. The Cleveland HS Jazz Ensemble placed 4th at the 2023 OMEA State Jazz Band Championships. 24 students auditioned into Oregon All-State Groups. State Chamber Music Results: 1st Place - Woodwind Quintet, 2nd Place - Percussion Trio
(2024) The Cleveland HS Wind Ensemble placed 3rd at the 2024 OSAA State Band Championships. The Cleveland HS Jazz Ensemble placed 2nd at the 2024 OMEA State Jazz Band Championships. 18 students auditioned into Oregon All-State Groups. State Chamber Music Results: 1st Place - Percussion Duet; 2nd Place - Double Reed Quintet; 3rd Place - Large Percussion Ensemble; 3rd Place - Trumpet Duet; 4th Place - Brass Quintet; 4th Place - Woodwind Duet
(2025) Cleveland HS Wind Ensemble was invited to perform a Concert Hour at the Oregon Music Educators Association Conference in Eugene, Oregon. The Cleveland HS Wind Ensemble placed 5th at the 2025 OSAA State Band Championships. The Cleveland HS Jazz Ensemble placed 3rd at the 2025 OMEA State Jazz Band Championships. 16 students auditioned into Oregon All-State groups. The Cleveland High School Band program was awarded the 2025 Blue Ribbon of Excellence Award for the Western Division by the National Band Association. State Chamber Music Results: 1st Place - Woodwind Quintet, 2nd Place - Gasophones (Sax Quintet), 2nd Place - Mallet Duet, 3rd Place - Brass Quintet #1, 3rd Place - Trombone/Bassoon Duet, 4th Place - Brass Quintet #2