Tarpon Springs Band Reaches Out to Band Family Struck by Tragedy

On October 31, 2009, The Tarpon Springs High School Marching Band earned the Grand Championship title at the Bands of America Super-Regional Competition at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. Among the 45 competing bands was the Fred Page High School Band from Franklin, TN (a suburb of Nashville) who won 1st place in the Class A division. There was a young man named Matt Hodge who played in the drumline with the Page High School band. Unfortunately, Matt was not in Atlanta because on August 22 he was critically injured in a traffic crash and remains in a coma.

So what does this have to do with Tarpon Springs?

"The Leap" The picture that started this project Photo by Kurt Heinecke

Subsequent to the Atlanta BOA competition, Tarpon Springs parents met Kurt Heinecke, a professional photographer who had taken a dramatic photo of "The Leap" which was the ending drill element of the Tarpon Springs show, The Trilogy. As it turns out, Kurt is also a Band Dad of another Page High School band member and he told us the story of Matt Hodge and how Matt's cause has become a mission for the Fred Page High School Band. Kurt Heinecke ultimately became a key figure in the project that was about to unfold.

When, upon returning home after the Atlanta trip, the Tarpon Springs Band members and boosters immediately saw the opportunity to make a difference for Matt Hodge and his family. Additionally, this was a way for the Grand Championship Band in the BOA Atlanta Super-Regionals to truly show leadership and character beyond the competition field. In just 4 weeks, Tarpon Springs Band members, parents and friends raised $2000 for the family of Matt Hodge. Band member Benjamin Longhofer (clarinet) created a giant card for Matt and the Page High School

band that was signed by all of the Tarpon Springs Band members.

On Monday, December 7, 2009 a Tarpon Springs contingent of 4 students and 2 parents travelled to Franklin, Tennessee to hand-deliver the card and a check for $2000 to the Hodge family. Page High School Principal, Dr. Andrea Anthony, allowed all Page band students to attend a special presentation and luncheon in the band room. It was indeed an emotional moment for all as the check was presented to Matt's parents, Tim and Sandy Hodge.

The middle-Tennessee news media covered the event at Fred Page High School in Franklin. You can see the video and read the story at the links below. In the end, the members of the Tarpon Springs band and the Page High School band learned important lessons on compassion and caring for others as well as making a number of new friends in the process.

If you want to learn more about Matt Hodge's story, you can read it and see pictures at the CaringBridge website created by his family (requires free login and registration). There is also an online art auction underway to raise additional funds for Matt's ongoing care. Those links and others are below.

Links

News Story WKRN TV, Nashville

News Story, Williamson County (TN) Herald Newspaper

Matt Hodge CaringBridge Site

Auction of Original Cartoon Art

Earlier News Story on Matt Hodge

Matt Hodge remains in a coma today since the August 22 accident.

Message received from Page High School Band Student

11/13/09

Hello,
I am a senior band member from Page High marching band. I just wanted to say thank you so much for deciding to fundraise for my bandmate, Hodge (we always call him "Hodge"). When my band director told us about the email he received today, he was still in shock, as was the entire class. It is really a great thing your band program is doing. I can't say enough "thank you's." This previous marching season was rough for all of us, as you could imagine. The activity of band truly brings people together all over the nation. Thank you so much, again, and we all are looking forward to meeting you come December.

Sincerely,
Helene R.
Fred J. Page