Union Public Schools
In Tulsa, marching bands go big. Particularly at Union Public Schools, the eighth largest school district in the state of Oklahoma. Its band program (Union Bands) serves over 1,100 students in 6th through 12th grade. At the high school level, some 250 students participate in state, regional and national marching band competitions. This means unparalleled opportunities and experiences for the next generation of musicians and performers. The band travels a lot and needs to transport thousands of pieces of equipment, instruments, costumes, sets and props.
A Personal Touch
Union Bands found it difficult to meet its storage and transportation needs. They decided to reach out to Milestone for help. The Milestone team responded by donating a good condition 2000-year model, 53’ dry van that should meet the students’ needs wherever they go.
“This is a group of students who do quite a bit of traveling and needed a trailer, and we saw it as an opportunity to step in and help,” says John Friend, Branch Sales Manager at Milestone Trailer Leasing. “We were thrilled to donate a trailer to Union Bands. I’m very proud it was a team effort involving a few other people – risk officer Shelley Shannon, operations manager Jonna Voss, division president Jeff Alpert and Milestone CEO Don Clayton.”
A 10-time national finalist marching band, Union Bands is among the top marching bands in the US. Two years ago, they participated in a national band competition in St. Louis and won 2nd place. Last year, students performed at the Orlando Citrus Parade. They also performed at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City in 2013 – in front of 3 million people and a global television audience of 50 million+.
“To have this large school district in our backyard, where 70 percent of our customers’ children and grandchildren attend – it means a lot to be able to give back,” says Friend.
“We can’t overstate how grateful we are to accept the generosity of Milestone,” says Charles Pisarra, Director of Bands at Union Public Schools. “Our mission statement is to ‘Cultivate a culture of artistry, excellence and community.’ Milestone is a perfect example of the ‘community’ piece in our mission. A relationship like this helps us do what we do: to provide kids a world class experience.”
