Hundreds of eastern Iowa marching band students will perform inside tonight (Monday) in Cedar Rapids as a fundraiser for their band programs. The ninth annual Indoor Marching Band Classic will be held in the U.S. Cellular Center in downtown Cedar Rapids. Scott Drzycimski , tonight’s master of ceremonies, is also on the board that runs the fall event. “It’s just a great program,” he says. “We’re getting to the end of the band season for the kids (who) are marching and this is an opportunity for them to see all the other bands perform tonight. There’ll be no judges out on the floor. There’ll be no scores given. It’s all just an exhibition and the big part is it’s to raise money for the bands.” Bands from seven high schools in Cedar Rapids and Marion as well as the Iowa State University marching band will perform. Drzycimski says school rivalries are checked at the door, and the bands and their fans cheer for one another. “It’s really a very friendly atmosphere,” Drzycimski says. He says the event has raised about 250-thousand dollars over the past nine years for bands in Cedar Rapids and Marion. The bands start playing tonight at 6:30. Tickets are nine dollars at the door. The Cedar Rapids-area high school bands participating tonight are Cedar Rapids Jefferson, Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Cedar Rapids Washington, Cedar Rapids Prairie, Cedar Rapids Xavier, Marion and Linn-Mar.
