CHS hosts Second Annual Community Day

CHENEY – The Cheney High School Blackhawk Band Parent Booster will host its second annual Community Day on Sept. 21 from 12 to 4 p.m. at Cheney High School.

Lisa Brown, President of the Blackhawk Band Parent Booster, shared, “This event not only helps raise money but also unites our schools and community to showcase what’s happening at Cheney High.”

This event aims to bring together the Cheney School District and local community while raising funds to send the Blackhawk Band to a national competition according to Brown.

Proceeds from the event will go toward funding the band’s trip to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for the Bands of America Grand National Championship from Nov. 14-16. “This competition features 120 bands from across the country, and Cheney High’s band will be the first from our region to compete,” Brown said. “Usually, the competition draws bands from Texas, the Midwest, and the East Coast.”

The decision to participate in this prestigious event has been in the works for two years. Brown explained that Cheney High School Band Director Josh Wisswell wanted to push the band to new heights, with a national competition being the next logical step.

Typically, the band competes in three local events and one on the west side of the state, but this year Wisswell proposed something bigger.

“We knew this was a huge opportunity, so we began fundraising immediately,” Brown said. Last year, the band held its first Community Day, followed by an Apple Pie sale in the fall and the Evening of Golden Notes gala and auction in the spring.

“This year, we’re back with our second Community Day event, offering something for all ages,” Brown added.

The day will include a special performance by the Blackhawk Band on Oswald Field at 3 p.m., showcasing their choreographed routines. In addition, the event will feature 46 vendors selling crafts and food, a car show, a kids’ carnival with games and prizes, a 60-foot inflatable obstacle course, and a dunk tank where community figures such as Superintendent Ben Ferney, PhD, and Wisswell will be dunked.

Spokane County Fire District 4 will host an Arson Dog demonstration, while Cheney and Airway Heights police departments will run a cornhole tournament. Brown concluded that the event promises to be fun for all, while supporting a great cause.

The band consists of 89 members and 14 staff members. This year they will be competing in the Spectacle of Sound at Ridgeline High School, Cavalcade of Bands in the Tri Cities, and Bands of America in Moscow, Idaho as their local travels.