Geary, Oklahoma School Band Trying To Rebuild After Devastating Fire

On Saturday, Mar. 22, parts of Geary Public Schools in Geary, Oklahoma caught fire and burned for hours into the next day. After causing extensive damage to the gymnasium, parts of the high school and cafeteria, school officials have called off classes until later this week. But it wasn't just buildings that they lost in the fire.

Geary Band in need, community members asked to donate or loan instruments for students.

The fire not only destroyed parts of the school, but expensive musical equipment for the Geary Public Schools band. Now, community members around Oklahoma are sharing a list of musical instruments that each class needs when classes resume via social media.

The Geary School band is in need of a variety of drums, cymbals, a tuba, trumpets, and several other expensive items. The band director is asking for donated instruments, or instruments that can be loaned for the time being.

Some of the instruments involved in the fire may have been recovered and may be able to be repaired, if there are any music stores willing to work with the school to get them back into working shape.

Geary Band known as a highlight of many generations in Oklahoma.

Band has remained an incredibly important part of the Geary school experience for decades and a loss like this one is devastating to say the least. According to an interview with Former Technology Engineering Instructor Cody McPherson, there were also pieces of the school band's long-lived history lost in the fire, such as sheet music and awards from previous years. "All the physical part of that history is gone, but the memories of it still live on," he said.

Despite losing so many items, Oklahoma's rally of supporters have been stepping up to the plate and donating items while spreading the word across the state. Some folks have hosted fundraisers of their own, while others have been donating what they can.

Here's how donors can arrange to drop off their items for Geary Schools.

Those who would like to donate instruments are encouraged to reach out to Laura Pope through Facebook. Pope was a previous band teacher at Geary schools who originally shared the list of items that the band needs.