Legacy Regiment Feeds GT, Raises Funds at Fall Pancake Breakfast

The Grand Terrace High School (GTHS) Legacy Regiment on Sunday, Sept. 22 hosted its first pancake breakfast, drawing about 200 community members to the GTHS cafeteria throughout the morning for the event. Visitors of the first annual fall pancake breakfast enjoyed handmade pancakes, eggs and sausage, along with the choice of orange juice or coffee. About 20 students and parent volunteers helped cook, serve and clean up for the breakfast event as it ran from 8 a.m. Sunday through noon. Community member Bill Nessel came to the event with his grandson, Steven Boatman, a college student who volunteers his time with the band and helps teach, said Nessel. “I think [the breakfast] was pretty good for it being their first one,” Nessel said. “Everyone was very friendly.” The breakfast was hosted to help raise funds to cover year-round program costs, shared music director Robert Ransdell. Each year, transportation alone costs the marching band about $10,000, with over $20,000 spent in the months of August through November for transportation, uniform cleaning, color guard flags, field show props, drill formation, tournament entry fees and specialty teaching staff, said Ransdell. Right now, most of the teaching staff are volunteers, he noted. “We do get some funding from the district to help with transportation and class supplies,” said Ransdell, who before he was hired at GTHS last year worked as the music director at Terrace Hills Middle School. The funds the band receives from the district are also meant to cover costs in all of the band courses, shared Ransdell, not just the marching band program. Currently the marching band is comprised of 85 student musicians. Melissa Leyba, a GTHS sophomore and Grand Terrace resident, is a percussion player who helped serve hungry visitors during the pancake breakfast. At Terrace Hills Middle school, she played the clarinet under the instruction of Mr. Ransdell, who, at that time, told her about GTHS, which was not yet completed. She shared she was glad that she continued with music, and was happy to be once again under Ransdell’s instruction. She also feels that the marching band program has afforded her vast opportunities. “It’s made me get involved and meet many more new people,” she said. Alejandra Beltran is a freshman in the color guard who originally got involved with the Legacy Regiment after a sophomore friend told her about it. At the Sunday breakfast, she helped service tables, helped with cleanup and also advertised the breakfast outside. “Many parents came and volunteered and it was really successful,” Beltran said. Of the relationship between band members and their teachers, Beltran added, “We bond a lot and we are all really close.” The Legacy Regiment meets for practices Mondays and Thursdays at GTHS from 6 to 9 p.m. Ransdell shared he plans to hold the pancake breakfast in the fall every year. In December, he is planning another pancake breakfast event called Breakfast with Santa. Interested parties can contact Robert Ransdell by calling GTHS at 909-580-5006 for pre-sale tickets.