Ash Grove Masons donate $10,000 to AGHS Marching Pirates

Every year, the Ash Grove Masonic Lodge #100 uses the funds they raise from the town’s Christmas parade to support a worthy cause. This year, the Masons voted to support the Ash Grove High School Marching Pirates. The Lodge presented a $10,000 donation to the band on Monday, March 3.
David Alborn, the Lodge’s worshipful master, said that the Masons chose to support the band due to their many accomplishments during the school year.
“The Masonic Lodge has a history of contributing to the community,” he said, “and our focus is generally on the children. And because the high school band is part of the high school and children, it’s been a logical choice.
The Ash Grove High School Band has competed in multiple regional events throughout this last year, and they have placed first … in everything they’ve competed in. And we’re so proud that the Ash Grove High School Band, under the leadership of Michelle Carter, has accomplished this. It’s inspiring to watch, and our lodge elected to make our annual contribution this year from the Christmas parade revenue to complement the band.”
Alborn also said that the Lodge placed no restrictions on how the band could use the money, provided it went to support the band.
“It will help them with whatever they … (are) in need of,” he said. “It could be uniforms, shoes. It could be band instruments. It could be music; whatever they (decide) they’re in higher need of.”
The donation, Alborn said, was made in cooperation with the Masonic Home of Missouri, whom he said tripled the amount of Lodge’s revenue from the parade.
“We put out sponsorships available to families (and) businesses in the area,” he said, “and this year we elected to put up brass plaques naming the sponsors on every light post. And we sold out, so that was the main revenue. And the net of that was sent to the Masonic Home of Missouri, which is part and parcel to the Masonic Lodge. They, in turn, … (took) the funds that we (gave) them, and they (matched) it times three.”
Band instructor Michelle Carter, said she and the rest of the Marching Pirates were amazed at the amount of the Lodge’s donation.
“When I learned of the $10,000 amount, my reaction along with the band members was shock,” she said. “I had no idea that large of a donation was being made to the band program,” adding that the funds would be used to buy “much-needed band instruments.”
Carter also said that the band was appreciative of the assistance from the Lodge, and the backing of the city of Ash Grove as a whole.
“The band members and I are grateful for the support from not only the Masonic Lodge, but also from the Ash Grove community,” she said.