ROBERTSDALE, Ala. — Come fill your belly with fish and your soul with music on Saturday, Sept. 18 at J.D. Sellars Stadium in Robertsdale as the Robertsdale High School Golden Bear Band have their annual Play-A-Thon.

Beginning at 10 a.m. until 5:45 p.m., catfish and mullet dinners, cooked by RHS Band Booster parents, along with baked beans, cole slaw, bread and a slice of cake will be served for $7 each. Coke products will be sold for a $1, bottled water and Powerade will go for $2. Tickets can be pre-purchased from RHS band members or at the stadium the day of the event.

Snow cones and Bear Grams will also be offered along with the dinners., said Sandy Dawkins, RHS Band Booster president.

The band will be practicing all day as people eat and there will be a silent auction before the band performs their half-time show at 6 p.m. The silent auction ends at 5:30 p.m. and the winners will be announced before the band performs, Dawkins said.

Lots of nice items were up for grabs last year and this year is looking just as good. Local businesses donating include: Joseph Kelley Inc. Party Headquarters, a complete birthday party; Gift Horse Restaurant, dinners; Gulf Bowl Bowling Alley, games; Rave Motion Pictures, movie tickets; Zaxby’s, party platter; Pirate’s Adventure Mini Golf, games; Hood’s; Happy Shack, t-shirts; Magnolia Blossom, gift certificates; Touch of Elegance, month of tanning; Racine’s Feed Store, palm tree; Willie T’s, gift certificate; Portrait Innovations, portrait package, Goo Roo’s, gift certificate; Ford Lumber; Domino’s, pizzas; and Joan’s Beauty Shop.

Dawkins said $7,048 was raised last year and hopes for just as a successful time this year. Money raised goes toward new music, trailers to haul equipment, instruments, uniforms, bass amplifiers and food expense for band students during the third quarter.

On another note, 20 students left at 6 a.m. on Saturday morning and traveled to the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg to participate in the All South High School Honor Marching Band, RHS Band director Doug Brasell said.

Students from all over the South had an opportunity to rehearse in the morning and play along with the Pride of Mississippi Marching Band during their half-time show Saturday afternoon and get a glimpse of the campus and college life. Beginning in the fall of 1993, this event was open to all band students expect the pit (percussion), the USM web site said.

Members selected and participating were: Ivy Thweatt, Alex Tedder, Jimmy Swafford, Wessie Jeffords, Cori Bryant, James McKinney, Matt Conway, Tyler Conrad, Eric Makey, Traclyn Knight, Roben Campbell, Kelsey Chambers, Augustin Briones, James Presley, Maddie Davison, Victoria Clark, Lena Quick, Kara Davis, Tyler Byrd, Christian Landis.

Also, 20 students were selected for the Sixth Annual Auburn University Honor Marching Band to be held on Saturday, Oct. 2. Those students are: Cori Bryant, Alex Tedder, James Presley, Maddison Davison, Nolen Tedder, Tyler Conrad, Eric Mackey, Sharon Meinders, Pierson Gillreath, Victoria Clark, Katie Strickland, Jessica Strickland, Rachel Nemecek, Kelley Nemecek, Ashlley Smith, Mercedi Thomley, Kristin Plato, Wessie Jefferds, Josh Holley and Lena Quick.

“I am very proud of these students and the opportunity they had and will have to participate in these events,” Brasell said.