Chipman set a $100,000 goal he hopes to reach by the end of
December. The band received $22,000 in donations and pledges between Thursday
and Saturday.
FAMU alumnus Bernard Kinsey, a former band member and major
financial contributor to the Marching 100 is excited. He lives in California.
“We can’t wait for
them to come out there and change the script for what marching bands do for the
Rose Bowl parade,” Kinsey said. “They’ve never heard anything or seen anything
like the Florida A&M University marching band.”
Donors who give $1,000 or more will receive a commemorative
plaque and a listing on a donor recognition wall that will be housed outside of
the band building on campus.
Chipman is seeking 78 more donors to help him reach this
milestone and will launch an additional campaign to raise $400,000 by the end
of summer 2018. The total cost of the Rose Bowl trip is $500,000.