Support a Student

2023 Fundraising Campaign

To all of our incredible supporters, we want to express our deepest gratitude for your generosity and support during our 2023 fundraising campaign. Because of you, our WT bands can continue to thrive, perform, and represent our school with pride. Your contributions are helping us march forward into a bright future filled with opportunities and unforgettable experiences. Thank you!

WT Band Support a Student Logo

Goal to Raise: $100,000 in Donations

Total Raised: $95,400

Choose a Recurring Monthly Donation or a One Time Donation

The WTAMU Band network is truly an amazing one. Today, our alumni are leading the top band programs in the nation, performing in world-class concert halls, and using the skills and techniques that they learned and developed in the WT Band to better their businesses, enrich their communities, and live meaningful and impactful lives.

But, it all starts here – in a band hall in Canyon, Texas.

You know that the music education and experiences you received at West Texas A&M rival that of any other major institution. The WTAMU Band needs your help to continue attracting and supporting top talent, ensuring the legacy of the Sound of West Texas continues to thrive.

Your donation to the band scholarship fund today supports the success of a student tomorrow.

We are so proud of our alumni’s ability to support deserving students with scholarships.

Thank you for believing in our students and programs.

A huge thank you to our monthly donors that help make this possible!

Luis Bencomo
Randy & Cindy Vaughn
Judy Pierce
Darrell & Lamoyne Garrison
Wildy Zumwalt
Mike & Cindy Bulloch
Russ Teweleit
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Worosello (Susan)

Marc Shellum
Mrs. Lucrezia "Lulu" Lehmann
Hanna Garcia
Don Lefevre
Kathy Kendle
Octatone
Kendra Nichols
Caryn Crutchfield

BreeAnne Harweth
Kelly Montgomery
Angela Blackiston
Vicki Glenn
Pano Mata
Daniel Loudenback
William Takacs
Robert Rumph

We also thank our 2024 donors for their contributions!

Richard Perryman
Lisa Fitts
Jolette Wine
Diane Chalk
Karen Wright
John Bryan Burton

Juliana Riecss
Sherry McQueen
Dr. Gary Garner
Bo Galvan
Rudy Rodriguez Sanchez
Aaron Killam

George Carpenter
Charles Johnson
Stephanie Williams
Brenda Schroer
Sean Rohde
Brent Key

If your name has been inadvertently left off this list, please contact Don Lefevre at:

dlefevre@wtamu.edu

Choose a Recurring Monthly Donation or a One Time Donation

Any amount will go a long way, including monthly giving

  • $50 Helps support one credit hour at WTAMU
  • $100 Helps support the cost of required supplies and materials
  • $250 Helps support the cost of textbooks
  • $500 Helps offset the cost of a Meal Plan
  • $1000 Helps support two semesters (24 credit hours) at WTAMU

A recurring monthly donation is ideal but anything helps!

Your gift is tax-deductible and helps band students offset the rising costs of tuition so they can continue to focus on learning and growing as talented musicians. The WTAMU Band accepts all donations through a special WT Band fund held with the Opportunity Plan, a Canyon-based 501c3 nonprofit committed to supporting students with college expenses.

To give, click the button above. You will be automatically redirected to the secure WT Band Opportunity Plan Fund site to complete your donation to either The Gary & Mariellen Garner Band Scholarship Fund or the Don Baird Memorial Scholarship Fund. Both funds support our WTAMU Band Student Scholarships.

Your Contributions Help Current WT Band Students Succeed

WT Band Student Spotlight: Gerry Lara

April 22, 2024

Hello, my name is Gerardo “Gerry” Lara. I am currently a graduate teaching assistant at WT, I have spent the last couple of years actively involved in numerous ensembles and…

Read More
Richard Rath

“I was the only person in my family to attend college. The music scholarship allowed me to consider a college degree. I started at WT with the goal of being a saxophonist and Band Director. WT offered me an opportunity that I would not have ever aspired to. Dr. Garner asked me to consider taking up the oboe. The scholarship covered my extra lessons and fees and I ended up playing all the woodwinds on my Senior Recital and secured a position at WT as Graduate Assistant and studying for my MA in Music on the Oboe. The Band Scholarship was the financial aid that allowed me to become a college professor, play in orchestras and become a Yamaha Performing Artist. This financial aid allows a student the opportunities he might not have otherwise.”

G. Richard Rath

WT Band (1962 – 1968)

Richard Rath
Donita Rule

“In high school, I liked marching in the band and getting to attend football games that I would not have been able to do otherwise. The same happened in college. It gave me an opportunity to participate and make friends. I belonged to Tau Beta Sigma and attended regularly. I still remember and communicate with many of the band members even though I was not a music major. Of course, getting acquainted with such a wonderful man as Gary Garner was a delight and privilege. I would not trade my experiences being associated with the WT band for anything.”

Donita Allred Rule

WT Band (1963 – 1967)

Donita Rule
Randy Vaughn

“I made the decision to attend West Texas State University in 1963, Dr. Gary Garner’s first year at WTSU. That decision turned out to be the most important and best decision of my life. My five years at West Texas allowed me to become the band director and educator I aspired to be, and were the most exciting, inspiring, challenging, and competitive years in my life! Whatever success I have achieved as a band director can be in large part due to my education and experiences at West Texas. None of this would have been possible without the help of several scholarships I was afforded at WT. The one program that really allowed me to attend was the Opportunity Plan. Today, my experiences with the Opportunity Plan and money management have allowed me and my wife, Cindy, to live debt free for the last twenty years. We owe so much to this great program and West Texas State University.”

Randy Vaughn

WT Band (1963 - 1968)

Randy Vaughn
Cicely McDowell

“I was part of WT’s band program all four years of college. Every year I was a recipient of a music scholarship, which allowed me to graduate with nominal debt. The WTAMU band program is a wonderful, supportive network that is unparalleled. The band program itself brings up memories of warm summer evenings with some of the best friends I have ever made, along with ample opportunities to perform and enrich others lives with live music via concerts and recruitment tours. Part of the support and opportunities that WT’s band program offers allowed me to venture to Nashville, TN, and I am forever grateful. WT’s band program doesn't stop at the band hall doors: the connections last a lifetime.”

Cicely McDowell

WT Band (2012 - 2016)

Cicely McDowell
Gary & Mariellen Garner

Dr. Gary & Mariellen Garner WTAMU Band Scholarship

The Dr. Gary & Mariellen Garner Band Scholarship Fund at O.P.I. honors an unparalleled legacy that began in 1963. With the help of our donors, talented students from all regions of Texas will have an opportunity to begin a degree at one of the finest music programs in the nation. We are excited about our future at West Texas A&M University School of Music, and believe that our best years are yet to come.

Don Baird Scholarship

Don Baird Low Brass Scholarship

The Don Baird Memorial Scholarship Fund at O.P.I. was generously seeded by Robert Frost in the spring of 2021. Robert is a former student of Mr. Baird, and he has been an avid supporter of the WT Band and our students for over five decades. Don Baird was an integral part of the WT Band program, and this memorial scholarship fund honors his legacy through support of the low brass recipients.

Other Ways To GiveOther Ways To Give

Leave a Legacy

Including a charitable bequest in your will is a simple way to make a lasting gift to the WTAMU Band. To leave a bequest, add WTAMU Band to an existing will or draft a new one. Make a gift of a stated dollar amount, a percentage of your estate, or the remainder after distributions to others. Leave a legacy, yet preserve and enjoy assets you might need during your lifetime.

Other Gifts to Consider:

  • Retirement Plan Assets
  • Charitable Trusts
  • Gifts of Life Insurance
  • Gifts of Stock
  • Anonymous Gifts

Please consult with your tax advisor or planning professional to decide what is the best choice for you.

Marcia McEntyre Zoffuto

Marcia McEntyre Zoffuto Memorial Music Scholarship (Endowed)

Awarded to West Texas A&M music education students

Endowment Manager: Dick Clardy