Help an Acton Teen March to the Beat of His Own Drum

Alejandro Zambrano, a 16-year-old sophomore at Acton-Boxborough Regional High School, fell in love with the drums as a 12-year-old playing the snare with a local colonial re-enactment group. 

From there, he joined the junior high band and continued to play the snare his freshman year. Then he joined PureFusion Percussion, an indoor percussion ensemble involved with Winter Guard International. 

"Being in these percussion ensembles has changed me and will influence me for the rest of my life," writes Alejandro on his GoFundMe page. "The biggest thing that marching arts has done to me is given me confidence in my everyday life, and I continue to prove to myself that I can accomplish something with pride in what I do. The problem with the marching arts is the cost." 

There's the rub, and the reason Alejandro started a GoFundMe campaign. He's looking for help covering the costs of a winter season, which runs $1,000, plus additional expenses for travel and out of pocket costs.

"I work odd jobs for cash, but with school and practices, it can be hard to juggle a part time job," wrote Alejandro. "Despite this I'm still applying around my town. This being said, money for marching is extremely hard to come by." 

He's looking for $1,200. If you're interested in helping out, head over to the Alejandro's WGI Tuition GoFundMe page.