FHS Cardinals' marching band spiffed up with new uniforms, 6 years in the works

FOND DU LAC - There’s an extra spring in the step of Fond du Lac High School’s marching band.

Through hard-earned efforts, the musicians were decked out in head-turning new uniforms when the Fondy Cardinal’s football team clinched the division championship on Friday night with a 42-7 win over Stevens Point.

It was senior night and parent's night, and the stands were bursting as the band marched onto the field in a sea of black and red “contemporary, yet traditional” uniforms, said band instructor Matt McVeigh — custom-designed to fit what the community might expect from their Fondy Cardinals.

The process took about six years, McVeigh said, which makes it a big deal for the school and its 200-plus student band members.

“Our uniforms were pretty worn out, way beyond their usable life," McVeigh said. "They had to be altered every year, but we didn’t have a penny to work with."

Band uniforms experience a lot of wear and tear, and are expected to last about 12 to 15 years, but the school district got 18 years out of the old ones, McVeigh said. He gave a shout out to local Georgetown Cleaners, whose careful care helped maintain and extend the life of them.

Through a $59,000 contribution from the district, community donations, and a flexing of muscles from band parents and their fundraisers, a little over $120,000 was raised to outfit the band for the21st Century.

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The trendy band uniforms were created using today's technology. Gone are the epaulets and gold cording and stiff materials of the past, replaced with digital printing on fabric.

The process, known as sublimation, transfers dye using heat, allowing the ink to become part of the fabric. This creates a breathable, soft-hand feel to the fabric, with letters and graphics that do not wear off.

Sizes are adjustable with the clever use of snaps on sleeves and pants and jackets, McVeigh said. 

Black pants, black hat with a red and black plume, and a smart black and red jacket were chosen after several rounds of sketches were submitted by the uniform manufacturer. McVeigh said the black striping against the red on the jacket is a stylized cardinal feather.

Athletic director Dave Michalkiewicz said the marching band and its new look set the tone of the football team’s last game of the regular season as they head into the playoffs.

“When they marched in with 25 minutes to go in warm-ups, it signaled the game is getting close,” he said. “The songs they play really get the team ready and focused, and the band gets the crowd going with the school song and its beautiful rendition of the National Anthem.”

When you look great you play great, he added, lauding the band for taking second place in its class at state marching band competition held the day after the game at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

“I think they look very sharp,” said Superintendent Jim Sebert.  “Matt and Chris (Barnes) did a great job designing them and aligning with our Cardinal color.  I think the mirror that seniors remove and take with them will be a great new tradition as well.”

 A focal point on the front of the uniform is a mirror etched with the school logo. McVeigh said it serves as a reminder for students to work hard so their performance is a reflection of their character.

"Seniors earn their mirror at the conclusion of the marching season and can remove it from their uniform and keep it," he said. 

The band's new look brings a sense of pride to the community, the school and the students, and the outfits should last well into the next decade.

“I think the kids love them and I think there’s a pride they feel as the first group that gets to wear them,” he said.