Discussion and possible action on any and all matters regarding Resolution No. 2057.  A resolution of the Mayor and Council of the City of San Luis, Arizona approving a contribution to Gadsden Elementary School District Marching Band. (Tadeo A. De La Hoya, City Manager)

The Gadsden Elementary School District Marching Band will be performing in Rome, Italy on December 31, 2018, and will be participating in Rome's New Year's Day Parade on January 1, 2019.  The participants will also take advantage of various educational, cultural tours while in Rome as well as have traditional Italian meals.  The Marching Band consists of 170 participants ages 11 through 17.  Each participant will need to pay a total amount of $3,350.00  to cover airfare, lodging, meals, transportation in Rome, Italy and the educational tours.  The participants and a parent committee have done fundraising to help the participants with this cost.

At the Council Meeting held on September 26, 2018, the Marching Band made a presentation of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and the fundraising activities they were working on.  At the Mayor's suggestion at that meeting, the Marching Band intends to wear t-shirts that read "San Luis, Arizona" while in Rome and bring back pictures showing they wore them as well as a video of the trip.  Council directed staff to take the issue of contribution to the Marching Band to the Budget Retreat.

Council did formally budget $15,000.00 for the purpose of supporting the Marching Band participants on the Rome trip who are residents of San Luis, Arizona.  Resolution No. 2057 provides that the $15,000.00 contribution is to be divided equally among the said Marching Band participants who are San Luis, Arizona residents for the purpose of defraying the $3,350.00  cost for each participant of the travel and educational tours.