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Milestone Trailer Leasing - Union Public School Marching Band

March On – Milestone Trailer Leasing Gives Back to Union Public Schools Band Program

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.

Milestone Trailer Leasing - Union Public School Marching Band

“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.”

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Milestone Gives Back: Our Recent Day of Service at Youth in Need Head Start Center

One of the greatest gifts we can give back is our time.

We recently had an opportunity to volunteer as a corporate team at the Youth in Need Head Start Center in Wentzville, Missouri. More than a dozen team members from across our divisions joined forces on July 21 to work in classrooms with children and on various service projects around the facility.

“Volunteering is very important to us, it provides us an opportunity to work together on a personal level,” says Jennifer Schaefer, Executive Administration Assistant for Milestone Equipment Holdings. “It also gives us a chance to share our talents and skills in the community we live in. Giving back always feels good.”

Team members were all smiles working with the children. Carolyn Mueller and John Reitano enjoyed entertaining 2-year-olds on the outdoor playground. Chris Bachmann volunteered in the 3 to 5-year-old classroom. Patti McAlister and Sarah Mesnier loved getting to know the infants and toddlers.

“I love being able to work for a company that gives back to the community,” says Mesnier, Senior Financial Reporting Accountant for Milestone Equipment Holdings. “Helping kids in need is something that means a lot to me. My mom is a child abuse therapist, so growing up I had a lot of exposure to families and kids who had nothing. It was always very important for my family to give back in any way we could. Youth in Need is an amazing organization, and it was awesome to see everything the Head Start Center does. I had so much fun playing with the toddlers and I hope we can do it again soon!”

Founded in 1974 by community volunteers, Youth in Need offers service and support programs to over 12,000 children, teens and families across eastern Missouri. The organization provides services including education, counseling and support groups, and infant, child and family development at more than 40 sites in six counties.

“The staff at Milestone was a great help to the teachers in our facility – they volunteered in all three of our classrooms doing everything from reading to our preschoolers to helping with the infants, and at one point they were even dancing with the kids,” says Cody Finan, Community Engagement Coordinator at Youth in Need Head Start Center. “Their efforts go a long way in making a great connection in the community.”

in Give Back / People