Flamingo-ing

What IS Flamingo-ing?

Flamingo-ing, a fun team-building and fun(d)raising activity!  If your business would like to support the Trojan Band, read more about becoming a BUSINESS SPONSOR and the advertising benefits that you can receive.

Flamingo-ing is our largest Fun(d)raiser of the year and a really fun team-building event! It starts on the evening of the Summer Band Picnic.

Each band section has 8 pink plastic birds, called a flock (the larger sections run two flocks). Each evening during Flamingo-ing, sections head to neighborhoods in the Anderson HS attendance zone and place the flock. The sections have developed their own unique appeals to homeowners around the idea that should the homeowner make a donation, they can take care of those pesky birds for them.  The goal is to move the flock quickly from house to house.  Most kids are home by 10 pm, but parents CAN and DO set individual curfews.

The idea here is that the kids work together, get to know one another, and raise money for the band’s activities at the same time. Flamingo-ing provides the bulk of ABBA’s yearly operating fund. We’ve never had a dangerous incident. The kids KNOW that if there is a major problem, Flamingo-ing STOPS immediately! Parents CAN drive and it is becoming more necessary as sections have a limited number of drivers. This is an activity for ALL BAND MEMBERS.

Parents should be aware that the best time to go flamingo-ing is in the evening when people are usually at home.  This means your student will be out until past sunset.  Band directors will be discussing the “rules of the game” and what activities are proper and improper.

When is Flamingo Season?

Flamingo season begins during summer band and lasts for two weeks . . . and in that time our kids raise thousands of dollars so that the band can thrive.

Did you miss it?  You can donate year-round to the booster association.

Tips – Safety FIRST – Always!!!!

Discuss curfews and expectations with your student.

If your student is a driver – discuss safe driving expectations.

Meet your student’s section leaders/drivers.

Know who your student is with.

Get cell phone numbers of others in your car.

Each car should contain 1 or more well-charged cell phones!

Why do we Flamingo?

Fun(d)-Raising This is the major fundraiser for the Anderson Band & Guard. Most flamingo-ing occurs in the Anderson area, but some ambitious groups have sought out friends, friends of parents, and local celebrities all over town.  Most people play along with this tongue-in-cheek blackmail but occasionally students will find a grouch who refuses to play along.  There have also been one or two instances where the person flamingo-ed wanted to keep the pink birds on their lawn. You should also know that this is often a pretty fierce competition between sections.

Team Building

Each section gathers together after summer band sessions, picking likely candidates from friends, neighbors, and family. Flamingo-ing builds an appetite and many groups make a late snack at a local restaurant a rewarding last activity for the evening. Most band students find flamingo-ing as the single best method of getting to know their fellow band members and it’s a fun way to end a day of rigorous band camp activities.  Underclassmen are usually active, enthusiastic participants and often are the best money-raisers.  Flamingo-ing will be a fun, popular activity for your band student.  Please encourage your student to join the fun and excitement of this blackma…, uh, fund raising event. Since there is lots of good-spirited competition between sections, it serves to help build section unity.